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Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of the JK-null phenotype in the Chinese population., Background: The Jk(a-b-) phenotype is vanishingly rare and the molecular basis differs between ethnic groups. The information regarding the molecular basis of JK-null alleles in the Chinese population is limited., Materials and Methods: Three unrelated Jk(a-b-) phenotype donors were selected from 52 260 randomly blood samples through the urea lysis test and serological analysis. The JK gene-coding regions were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and the products were sequenced directly., Results: Sequencing results revealed that one sample of JK(*) B alleles carried the well-known Polynesian Jk(a-b-) mutation IVS5-1g>a. Another null allele, also on the JK(*) B background, presented with two heterozygous missense mutation, including nt222C>A(Asn74Lys) in exon 5 and nt896G>A(Gly299Glu) in exon 9. The third null allele carried two heterozygous missense mutations, nt222C>A and a novel allele nt737T>G(Leu246Arg) in exon 8. The family investigation revealed that the proband was JK(*) A(737T>G)/JK(*) B(222C>A)., Conclusion: The Jk(a-b-) phenotype in the Chinese population shows several different molecular mechanisms. A novel missense mutation nt737T>G of JK gene was found as associated with Jk(a-b-) phenotype., (© 2015 British Blood Transfusion Society.)

Objectives: To develop a novel technique to visualize dentogingival profiles by using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to evaluate the accuracy of mucogingival tissue thickness measurements with CBCT, as compared with direct measurements in vitro., Methods: A silicone matrix loaded with radiopaque impression material was prepared before performing CBCT on a patient. Two dry cadaver mandibles with simulated mucogingival tissue and six segmental cadaver jaws were used to assess the accuracy of mucogingival tissue thickness measurements directly and radiographically with CBCT images. Paired t tests were used to evaluate the intra- and interexaminer reliability and to compare the data between direct and CBCT imaging measurements at α = 0.05., Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between direct and CBCT imaging measurements of simulated mucogingival tissue thickness in mandibular models and in cadaver jaws (P > .05). Results of direct measurements with simulated mucogingival tissue thickness indicated good intra- and interexaminer reliability., Conclusions: A novel technique was developed to obtain mucogingival tissue thickness data on the use of radiopaque impression materials and CBCT imaging. This new method provides a reliable visual dentogingival profile and a means to objective measurements., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The occurrence of cervical cancer during pregnancy is extremely rare, particularly small cell carcinoma. Small cell cervical carcinoma (SCCC) is a neuroendocrine tumor with a poor prognosis. This study presents the case of an 18-year-old female with stage IB2 SCCC complicated by pregnancy, who was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The patient was diagnosed shortly after giving birth, and is the youngest female case to be reported in the world. The patient was treated with cisplatin and etoposide chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Complete remission was achieved following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and the patient remains in clinical remission eight months following treatment. Cytological screening, colposcopy and if necessary, biopsy, and selective conization at 14-20 weeks should be considered in the patient evaluation.

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a priority pollutant causing serious environmental issues. Microbial reduction provides an alternative strategy for Cr(VI) remediation. The dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, was employed to study Cr(VI) reduction and toxicity in this work. To understand the effect of membrane cytochromes on Cr(VI) response, a comparative protein profile analysis from S. oneidensis MR-1 wild type and its mutant of deleting OmcA and MtrC (△omcA/mtrC) was conducted using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) technology. The 2-DE patterns were compared, and the proteins with abundant changes of up to twofold in the Cr(VI) treatment were detected. Using mass spectrometry, 38 and 45 differentially abundant proteins were identified in the wild type and the mutant, respectively. Among them, 25 proteins were shared by the two strains. The biological functions of these identified proteins were analyzed. Results showed that Cr(VI) exposure decreased the abundance of proteins involved in transcription, translation, pyruvate metabolism, energy production, and function of cellular membrane in both strains. There were also significant differences in protein expressions between the two strains under Cr(VI) treatment. Our results suggest that OmcA/MtrC deletion might result in the Cr(VI) toxicity to outer membrane and decrease assimilation of lactate, vitamin B12, and cystine. When carbohydrate metabolism was inhibited by Cr(VI), leucine and sulfur metabolism may act as the important compensatory mechanisms in the mutant. Furthermore, the mutant may regulate electron transfer in the inner membrane and periplasm to compensate for the deletion of OmcA and MtrC in Cr(VI) reduction.

A bicyclic host molecule 1 consisting of a pillar[5]arene and a 1,5-dioxynaphthalene-based crown ether unit has been synthesized, and the two cyclic subunits in 1 were found to recognize two different guest molecules (1,4-dicyanobutane and paraquat) selectively or take up the two guest molecules simultaneously.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as a potential gaseous messenger molecule, has been suggested to play important roles in a wide range of physiological processes in plants. The aim of present study was to investigate which set of proteins is involved in H2S-regulated metabolism or signaling pathways. Spinacia oleracea seedlings were treated with 100 µM NaHS, a donor of H2S. Changes in protein expression profiles were analyzed by 2-D gel electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF MS. Over 1000 protein spots were reproducibly resolved, of which the abundance of 92 spots was changed by at least 2-fold (sixty-five were up-regulated, whereas 27 were down-regulated). These proteins were functionally divided into 9 groups, including energy production and photosynthesis, cell rescue, development and cell defense, substance metabolism, protein synthesis and folding, cellular signal transduction. Further, we found that these proteins were mainly localized in cell wall, plasma membrane, chloroplast, mitochondria, nucleus, peroxisome and cytosol. Our results demonstrate that H2S is involved in various cellular and physiological activities and has a distinct influence on photosynthesis, cell defense and cellular signal transduction in S. oleracea leaves. These findings provide new insights into proteomic responses in plants under physiological levels of H2S.

This study was purposed to understand the infection of HBV, HCV, HIV among the voluntary blood donors and the epidemic trend in infectious population in Chinese Nanjing area, and to guide the mobilization and recruitment of blood donors. A total of 199777 whole blood samples of voluntary blood donors were tested by ELISA, the nucleic acid technology (NAT) combined detection (HBV-DNA, HCV-RNA, HIV-RNA) was added for detection of the samples with HBsAg,anti-HCV, anti-HIV at least unilateral negative donors from June 10, 2010 to June 9, 2013 years, and these statistic data were analyzed. Every HIV reactive sample(HIV-antibody and/or HIV-RNA) was sent to be confirmed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Nanjing. The results showed that the voluntary donors' infection rate of HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HIV were 0.45%, 0.28%, 0.11% respectively; NAT positive rate was 0.07%, 32 cases were confirmed with anti-HIV positive, in which 30 cases were male (6 cases were repeated blood donors) and 2 cases were female, 3 cases were unconfirmed, in which 2 cases were males and 1 case was female. The statistical analysis demonstrated that the difference of unqualitative rate of HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HIV was statistically significant between the first-time and repeated blood donors.It is concluded that the positive rate of anti-HCV and anti-HIV displayed a declining trend year by year in Nanjing voluntary blood donation population from June 10,2010 to June 9, 2013 years. The unqualitative rate of HBsAg and NAT increased with the age increasing, while that of anti-HCV, anti-HIV decreased with age increasing. The unqualitative rate of the repeated blood donors is far lower than that of the first-time blood donors. The ELISA positive rate of anti-HIV testing in females is higher than that in males, but the confirmed positive rate of male is significantly higher than that of female. Therefore the consulting skills before donating should be improved, concerning the link of recruiting donors, focusing on strengthening the first-time donors' consultation, evaluating and developing the fixed voluntary blood donors, and vigorously popularizing NAT technology in blood screening to improve the blood safety effectively.

Acid rain (AR) is a serious environmental issue inducing harmful impacts on plant growth and development. It has been reported that Liquidambar formosana, considered as an AR-sensitive tree species, was largely injured by AR, compared with Schima superba, an AR-tolerant tree species. To clarify the different responses of these two species to AR, a comparative proteomic analysis was conducted in this study. More than 1000 protein spots were reproducibly detected on two-dimensional electrophoresis gels. Among them, 74 protein spots from L. formosana gels and 34 protein spots from S. superba gels showed significant changes in their abundances under AR stress. In both L. formosana and S. superba, the majority proteins with more than 2 fold changes were involved in photosynthesis and energy production, followed by material metabolism, stress and defense, transcription, post-translational and modification, and signal transduction. In contrast with L. formosana, no hormone response-related protein was found in S. superba. Moreover, the changes of proteins involved in photosynthesis, starch synthesis, and translation were distinctly different between L. formosana and S. superba. Protein expression analysis of three proteins (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase) by Western blot was well correlated with the results of proteomics. In conclusion, our study provides new insights into AR stress responses in woody plants and clarifies the differences in strategies to cope with AR between L. formosana and S. superba.

Plasticity of macrophage (MΦ) phenotypes exist in a spectrum from classically activated (M1) cells, to alternatively activated (M2) cells, contributing to both the normal healing of tissues and the pathogenesis of implant failure. Here, folate- and mannose-based optical probes were fabricated to simultaneously determine the degree of MΦ polarization. In vitro tests show the ability of these probes to specifically target M1 and M2 cells. In an in vivo murine model, they were able to distinguish between the M1-dominated inflammatory response to infection and the M2-dominated regenerative response to particle implants. Finally, the probes were used to assess the inflammatory/regenerative properties of biomaterial implants. Our results show that these probes can be used to monitor and quantify the dynamic processes of MΦ polarization and their role in cellular responses in real time., (Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Docetaxel (DOC) is widely used as radiosensitizer in various tumors, including gastric cancer (GC), but its therapeutic effect remains to be improved. In this study, using docetaxel-loaded nanoparticles (DOC-NPs) based on gelatinase-stimuli strategy, we compared their radioenhancement efficacy with docetaxel in GC. Compared with DOC, radiosensitization of DOC-NPs was improved significantly (sensitization enhancement ratio increased 1.09-fold to 1.24-fold, P<0.01) in all three gelatinase overexpressing GC cells, while increased slightly (1.02-fold, P=0.38) in gelatinase deficient normal gastric mucosa cells. The improved radiosensitization efficacy was associated with enhanced G2/M arrest, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), more effective DSBs and promoted apoptosis. More importantly, the radiosensitization efficacy of DOC-NPs (estimated as ''very active'') was more prominent than DOC (estimated as ''moderately active'') by intravenous injection in xenograft. In conclusion, DOC-NPs are highly selective radiosensitizers in gelatinase over-expressing tumors, and more effective than DOC. By manipulating the common microenvironment difference between tumor and normal tissue, gelatinase-mediated nanoscale delivery system serves as a potential strategy possessing both universality and selectivity for radiosensitizers., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this work, switching dynamics of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] copolymer films are investigated over unprecedentedly wide ranges of temperature and electric field. Remarkably, domain switching of copolymer films obeys well the classical domain nucleation and growth model although the origin of ferroelectricity in organic ferroelectric materials inherently differs from the inorganic counterparts. A lower coercivity limit of 50 MV/m and 180° domain wall energy of 60 mJ/m(2) are determined for P(VDF-TrFE) films. Furthermore, we discover in copolymer films an anomalous temperature-dependent crossover behavior between two power-law scaling regimes of frequency-dependent coercivity, which is attributed to the transition between flow and creep motions of domain walls. Our observations shed new light on the switching dynamics of semi-crystalline ferroelectric polymers, and such understandings are critical for realizing their reliable applications.

Acid rain (AR), a serious environmental issue, severely affects plant growth and development. As the gymnosperms of conifer woody plants, Pinus massoniana (AR-sensitive) and Taxus wallichiana var. mairei (AR-resistant) are widely distributed in southern China. Under AR stress, significant necrosis and collapsed lesions were found in P. massoniana needles with remarkable yellowing and wilting tips, whereas T. wallichiana var. mairei did not exhibit chlorosis and visible damage. Due to the activation of a large number of stress-related genes and the synthesis of various functional proteins to counteract AR stress, it is important to study the differences in AR-tolerance mechanisms by comparative proteomic analysis of tolerant and sensitive species. This study revealed a total of 65 and 26 differentially expressed proteins that were identified in P. massoniana and T. wallichiana var. mairei, respectively. Among them, proteins involved in metabolism, photosynthesis, signal transduction and transcription were drastically down-regulated in P. massoniana, whereas most of the proteins participating in metabolism, cell structure, photosynthesis and transcription were increased in T. wallichiana var. mairei. These results suggest the distinct patterns of protein expression in the two woody species in response to AR, allowing a deeper understanding of diversity on AR tolerance in forest tree species.

Objective: To explore the clinical and function efficacy of the treatment of Herbert B2-type scaphoid fracture through volar approach with double screws prograde internal fixation., Methods: From December 2005 to June 2010,18 patients with Herbert B2-type scaphoid fracture were treated with double screws prograde internal fixation through volar approach, including 14 males and 4 females with an average age of 33.11 years (ranged from 21 to 52 years). The fracture healing situation was evaluated by X-ray examination. Functional outcome was assessed by using Modified Mayo wrist score., Results: All patients were followed up with a mean time of (25.06 +/- 4.00) months. The bone healing time was (3.55 +/- 0.65) months. The pain,passive range of motion, grip of wrist were improved at 4 months after operation (P < 0.05). The Mayo wrist score were improved from preoperative 42.78 +/- 7.32 at 4 months after operation (93.89 +/- 5.83) (P < 0.05), the results were excellent in 9 cases and good in 9 cases., Conclusion: Volar approach with double screws prograde internal fixation is an efficacy and safety surgical technique for Herbert B2-type scaphoid fracture.

The detection of nucleobases, the informational subunits of DNA and RNA, in several meteorites suggests that these compounds of biological interest were formed via astrophysical, abiotic processes. This hypothesis is in agreement with recent laboratory studies of irradiation of pyrimidine in H2O-rich ices with vacuum UV photons emitted by an H2-discharge lamp in the 6.9-11.3 eV (110-180 nm) range at low temperature, shown to lead to the abiotic formation of several compounds including the nucleobases uracil, cytosine, and thymine. In this work, we irradiated H2O:pyrimidine ice mixtures under astrophysically relevant conditions (14 K, ≤10(-9) torr) with high-energy UV photons provided by a synchrotron source in three different ranges: the 0(th) order light (4.1-49.6 eV, 25-300 nm), the He i line (21.2 eV, 58.4 nm), and the He ii line (40.8 eV, 30.4 nm). The photodestruction of pyrimidine was monitored with IR spectroscopy, and the samples recovered at room temperature were analyzed with liquid and gas chromatographies. Uracil and its precursor 4(3H)-pyrimidone were found in all samples, with absolute and relative abundances varying significantly from one sample to another. These results support a scenario in which compounds of biological interest can be formed and survive in environments subjected to high-energy UV radiation fields.

It is often difficult to continuously monitor and quantify inflammatory responses in vivo. These dynamic responses however are often accompanied by specific pH changes. A new ratiometric optical pH probe is developed by combining pH-sensitive (CypHer5E) and pH-insensitive (Oyster800) fluorescent dyes into nanoparticles for in vivo optical imaging. By taking the ratio of fluorescence intensities at different wavelengths, these nanosized sensors provide excellent measurement capabilities, and unique mapping, of the continuous in vivo pH changes for three different inflammation models. In each model a strong positive correlation is found between ratiometric pH changes and the corresponding inflammatory response measured by histological analyses. These results indicate that ratiometric imaging can provide a noninvasive, rapid, and highly sensitive optical readout for the pH-ratio changes in vivo. Furthermore this technique may be used to monitor the real-time dynamics of inflammatory processes., (Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Nitric oxide (NO) as a ubiquitous signal molecule plays an important role in plant development and growth. Here, we compared the proteomic changes between NO-overproducing mutant (nox1) and wild-type (WT) of Arabidopsis thaliana using two-dimensional electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF MS. We successfully identified 59 differentially expressed proteins in nox1 mutant, which are predicted to play potential roles in specific cellular processes, such as post-translational modification, energy production and conversion, metabolism, transcription and signal transduction, cell rescue and defense, development and differentiation. Particularly, expression levels of five anti-oxidative enzymes were altered by the mutation; and assays of their respective enzymatic activities indicated an enhanced level of oxidative stress in nox1 mutant. Finally, some important proteins were further confirmed at transcriptional level using quantitative real-time PCR revealing the systemic changes between WT and nox1. The result suggests that obvious morphological changes in the nox1 mutant may be regulated by different mechanisms and factors, while excess endogenous NO maybe one of the possible reasons., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To classify the relationship of the sagittal root positions of the maxillary anterior teeth to their respective osseous housings, and to measure the thickness of facial and palatal alveolar bone by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)., Methods: Twenty-three subjects [9 male, 14 female, mean age: (24.5 ± 1.6) years] who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were involved in this study. The CBCT images were evaluated and the relationship of the sagittal root position of the maxillary anterior teeth to its associated osseous housing was recorded as Kan's Class 1, 2, 3, 4. The facial and palatal alveolar bone thickness at three locations:2 mm apical to crest level, mid-root level and apical level, was measured respectively., Results: Ninety seven point one percent(134/138)of the anterior maxillary teeth were classified as Class 1. Only 2.9% (4/138) were Class 4.Occurrences of > 2 mm thickness of maxillary facial alveolar bone were found 2.2% (6/276 sites) at 2 mm apical to crest level and mid-root level in the sample of maxillary anterior teeth., Conclusions: The majority of the anterior maxillary teeth roots were positioned close to the labial cortical plate. Most tooth sites in the anterior maxilla had a thin facial bone wall.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an inflammation index, is considered a prognostic predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative peripheral NLR in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC after radical hepatectomy. Clinical data were collected from patients with HBV-associated HCC who underwent radical hepatectomy. NLR was calculated from lymphocyte and neutrophil counts on preoperative routine blood tests. Demographics, laboratory analyses, and histopathological data were analyzed. A total of 282 patients were selected and divided by the cutoff NLR value of 2. Multivariate analysis showed that NLR > 2 was an independent prognostic predictor of poor disease-free survival [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.362; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.025-1.811; P = 0.033] and overall survival (HR = 1.434; 95% CI 1.044-1.970; P = 0.023). NLR had a good predictive value for prognosis in patients with HBV-associated HCC who had normal serum AFP level. These results suggested that NLR is an independent indicator of both disease-free survival and overall survival in patients with HBV-associated HCC after radical hepatectomy, including AFP-normal patients.

Objective: To investigate the features of the fill of interdental spaces by gingival papillae and the associated factors., Methods: Fifteen volunteers with healthy gingiva were involved in this study. The height and thickness on the alveolar crest level of 62 maxillary anterior papilla were measured radiographically with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. A standardized periodontal probe with Williams markings was used for measurements of the papilla width on the alveolar crest level., Results: When the papilla was complete fill interdentally, the mean height of papillary tissue on the alveolar crest level (equal to contact point-bone crest) was (3.67 ± 0.51) mm. The mean thickness of papilla on the alveolar crest level was (8.38 ± 0.75) mm. The papilla height had a positive correlation with papilla thickness (r = 0.433, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: The cone-beam computed tomography can be used for clear visualization of the papilla profile and the measurements of papilla height and thickness. Thicker and wider tissue was associated with an increased likelihood of having a complete papilla fill.

Objective: To observe changes of bulbar conjunctival microcirculation in rabbits of five kinds subtypes of blood stasis syndrome (BSS), and to analyze their different properties., Methods: Totally 60 Japanese big-ear rabbits were randomly divided into six groups, i.e., qi deficiency blood stasis group, qi stagnation blood stasis group, cold coagulation blood stasis group, heat toxin blood stasis group, external injury blood stasis group, and the normal control group, 10 in each group. Changes of rabbit bulbar conjunctiva microcirculation were observed before and after modeling., Results: Compared with the normal control group, the total integral of bulbar conjunctiva microcirculation obviously increased in the 5 BSS groups (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference among the 5 BSS groups (P > 0.05). But there was statistical difference in any concrete integral among the 5 BSS groups (P < 0.05). Thickening blood vessels and errhysis of vascular walls were dominant in the heat toxin blood stasis group. Ischemia, partial cystic dilatation, vascular engorgement and twist were dominant in the qi deficiency blood stasis group. Partial vascular buckling, aneurysmal changes, flow velocity slowed down were dominant in the qi stagnation blood stasis group. Vascular buckling, hyperemia, vascular engorgement, blood flow slowed down were dominant in the external injury blood stasis group. Vascular buckling, ischemia, dark color were dominant in the cold coagulation blood stasis group., Conclusion: Changes of bulbar conjunctival microcirculation were different in 5 kinds of BSS types, which could reflect their various features.

Malignant renal subcapsular effusions commonly arise from primary or metastatic renal neoplasms. The current case report presents a rare case of malignancy with a massive renal subcapsular effusion accompanied by a malignant pleural effusion of an unknown primary site, which underwent progression to carcinomatous meningitis during chemotherapy. The type of adenocarcinoma present was determined by effusion cytology. Intravenous chemotherapy (docetaxel plus oxaliplatin and gemcitabine plus cisplatin) were administered; however, the disease still progressed. Time to progression was 9 months during treatment of gefitinib. Comprehensive therapies, including intracavity chemotherapy, immunotherapy and gefitinib, were shown to be effective and prolonged the patient's survival time.

It is well known that nitric oxide (NO) enhances salt tolerance of glycophytes. However, the effect of NO on modulating ionic balance in halophytes is not very clear. This study focuses on the role of NO in mediating K(+)/Na(+) balance in a mangrove species, Kandelia obovata Sheue, Liu and Yong. We first analyzed the effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an NO donor, on ion content and ion flux in the roots of K. obovata under high salinity. The results showed that 100 μM SNP significantly increased K(+) content and Na(+) efflux, but decreased Na(+) content and K(+) efflux. These effects of NO were reversed by specific NO synthesis inhibitor and scavenger, which confirmed the role of NO in retaining K(+) and reducing Na(+) in K. obovata roots. Using western-blot analysis, we found that NO increased the protein expression of plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPase and vacuolar Na(+)/H(+) antiporter, which were crucial proteins for ionic balance. To further clarify the molecular mechanism of NO-modulated K(+)/Na(+) balance, partial cDNA fragments of inward-rectifying K(+) channel, PM Na(+)/H(+) antiporter, PM H(+)-ATPase, vacuolar Na(+)/H(+) antiporter and vacuolar H(+)-ATPase subunit c were isolated. Results of quantitative real-time PCR showed that NO increased the relative expression levels of these genes, while this increase was blocked by NO synthesis inhibitors and scavenger. Above results indicate that NO greatly contribute to K(+)/Na(+) balance in high salinity-treated K. obovata roots, by activating AKT1-type K(+) channel and Na(+)/H(+) antiporter, which are the critical components in K(+)/Na(+) transport system.

A novel trispyrazine-pillared prismatic bicycooxacalixaromatic ligand L is synthesized, and its application in metal-mediated self-assembly is described. Under self-assembly conditions, single chain, double-stranded cross-linked coordination polymer and two-dimensional (2D) coordination polymeric networks were formed via M-L (Ag(+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+)) coordinative interactions. Structural analyses revealed that the antiparallelly arranged one-dimensional coordination polymers (Cu(2+) and Zn(2+)) are arranged to generate well-defined voids to host aromatic guests (benzene) via C-H···π and π···π interactions, while the double-stranded cross-linked coordination polymer (Ag(+)) contains a rhomboidal [Ag2(L(3))2] (L(3): tridentate ligand) cage motif to include a benzene guest; the "thicker" (thickness: ac 5 Å) 2D coordination polymeric networks (Ag(+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+)), however, are all formed by connection of one or two kinds of topologically different metallomacrocyclic cage units. These unique metallomacrocyclic cage units in the 2D coordination polymeric networks are capable of hosting different guest species. For instance, the rhomboidal [M2(L(3))2] (M = Ag(+), Cu(2+)) cage units were found to host a benzene or a nitrate anion; a hexahedral [M3(L(3))3] (M = Ag(+)) cage was found to host a ligand L or a DMF molecule; the hexahedral [M4(L(3))4] (M = Cu(2+)) cage was found to host four solvent molecules of benzene; and the rectangular [M3(L(3))3] (M = Cu(2+), Zn(2+)) cage units, however, were found to host two THF molecules. The results highlight the potential of ligand L for applications in the construction of "thicker" 2D coordination polymeric networks with well-defined metallomacrocyclic cage units capable of hosting various guest species.

Objective: To investigate the accuracy of probing depth measurements of undergraduate students in department of periodontology and analyze the cause of measurement errors., Methods: Thirty-eight dental students from Peking Universty School and Hospital of Stomatology who began their periodontal clinical practice for the first time were recruited. According to principle of clinical teaching, after the students recorded the probing depth of 1-2 periodontitis patients using Williams periodontol probe, an experienced teacher checked the probing depth. The measurements of interproximal sites of Ramfjord index teeth (6 14 41 6) were used as the data of this study. According to the probing depth discrepancies between teacher and the students, all the probing sites were divided in three levels: absolutely consistent sites (probing depth measured by teacher and by student was completely consistent), almost consistent sites (the depth discrepancy between teacher and student was 1 mm), inconsistent sites (the depth discrepancies between teacher and student ≥ 2 mm)., Results: The accuracy of probing depth measurements of students decreased with the deepening of probing depth, and the accuracy of probing depth measurements in molar teeth was significantly lower than incisor teeth [58.8% (261/444) vs.73.1% (339/464), P < 0.01]. The main factor associated with the accuracy of probing depth measurements in interproximal sites was the probe's inability to get into gingival col, which accounted for 70.7% (87/123) of the total inconsistent sites., Conclusions: The correct angle of insertion of the probe in interproximal sites should be reinforced during the course of pre-clinical education of periodontal probing. More attention should be paid to check the probing depth of deep pockets and molar teeth during the clinical practice of undergraduate students.

In order to obtain mutant strains showing higher solvent tolerance and butanol production than those of wild-type strains, the butanol-producing strain Clostridium beijerinckii L175 was subjected to mutagenesis using a combined method of low-energy ion beam implantation and N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine induction. With this effort, mutant strain MUT3 was isolated. When it was used for butanol fermentation in P2 medium, the production of butanol was 15.8±0.7 g/L 46% higher than the wild-type strain. Furthermore, after optimization of butanol production from cane molasses with MUT3, the maximum butanol production of 14.9±0.5 g/L were obtained in crew-capped bottles. When ABE production by MUT3 was carried out in a bioreactor, the production of butanol and total solvent were 15.1±0.8 g/L and 22.1±0.9 g/L, respectively. The remarkable butanol production and solvent tolerance of MUT3 make it promising for butanol production from cane molasses., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To synthesize three novel esterified-derivatives of mangiferin and evaluate their hypoglycemic activities., Methods: Acetic, propionic, and butyric anhydride were reacted with mangiferin, respectively. The hypoglycemic activity of the derivatives was evaluated using a hyperglycemic mouse model induced by streptozotocin (STZ), and the islet cells were checked by biopsy inspection., Results: 7, 2', 3', 4', 6'-penta-acetyl-mangiferin (PAM), 3, 6, 7, 2', 3', 4', 6'-hepta-propionyl-mangiferin (HPM) and 3, 6, 7, 2', 3', 4'-hexa-butyryl-mangiferin (HBM) were synthesized and their structures were identified by MS,(1)H, (13)C NMR, and 2D NMR. These three compounds were reported for the first time. PAM group (0.5, 0.25 mmol·kg(-1)), HPM group (0.5, 0.25 mmol·kg(-1)), and HBM group (0.5, 0.25, 0.125 mmol·kg(-1)) mice showed strong hypoglycemic activity (P < 0.01); mangiferin group (1, 0.5 mmol·kg(-1)), PAM group (0.125 mmol·kg(-1)) and HPM group (0.125 mmol·kg(-1)) showed marginal hypoglycemic activity (P < 0.05); mangiferin group (0.25 mmol·kg(-1)) had the potential for a hypoglycemic effect, although it did not demonstrate that statistically. In histological examination, the islet cells of the PAM, HPM, and HBM groups could recover from the STZ damage; islet cells of the mangiferin group could recover also, but less than the esterified-derivative groups., Conclusion: Derivatives could repair the damaged islet cells, and had higher lipid-solubility and stronger hypoglycemic activity than mangiferin itself. There existed a structure activity effect, and a solubility effect relationship: the larger esterification moieties, or the higher lipid-solubility, the stronger the hypoglycemic activity (no ester → acetyl → propionyl → butyryl). Esterified derivatives of mangiferin are potential compounds for new anti-diabetes drugs., (Copyright © 2013 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A young lady with unsatisfied restorations of upper anterior teeth and swollen gum wanted to improve aesthetics. Oral examination showed that 12-22 were provisional crowns with normal occlusion, poorly gingival contour and gummy smile. The gingiva was red, light swollen and bleeding on probing. X-ray showed the roots of 11, 21 were short and the alveolar bone absorbed. After the periodontal initial treatment, an ideal location of gingival margin was determined. Then, an esthetic periodontal surgery was performed to recover the biology width and the gingival margin was fitted with the anterior teeth. The temporary restorations were made twice to guide the gingiva growth by changing the shape of the restorations and moving up the contact points of the restorations. The ceramic crowns were completed 3 months after the operation. The gummy smile disappeared and the gingival margin was filled well with the upper anterior ceramic crowns. The 14-month follow-up presented a satisfied effect. Crown lengthening surgery combined restorative therapy could lead papilla to grow well. This process is beneficial for the future treatment plan and clinical esthetic evaluation.

During smile evaluation and anterior esthetic construction, the anatomic and racial variations should be considered in order to achieve better matching results. The aims of this study were to validate an objective method for recording spontaneous smile process and to categorize the smile and upper lip curvature of Chinese Han-nationality youth. One hundred and eighty-eight Chinese Han-nationality youths (88 males and 100 females) ranged from 20 to 35 years of age were selected. Spontaneous smiles were elicited by watching comical movies and the dynamics of the spontaneous smile were captured continuously with a digital video camera. All subjects' smiles were categorized into three types: commissure, cuspid and gummy smile based on video editing software and final images. Subjects' upper lip curvatures were also measured and divided into three groups: upward, straight and downward. Reliability analysis was conducted to obtain intra-rater reliabilities on twice measurements. The Pearson Chi-square test was used to compare differences for each parameters (α=0.05). In smile classification, 60.6% commissure smile, 33.5% cuspid smile and 5.9% gummy smile were obtained. In upper lip measurement, 26.1% upward, 39.9% straight and 34.0% downward upper lip curvature were determined. The commissure smile group showed statistically significant higher percentage of straight (46.5%) and upward (40.4%) in upper lip curvatures (P<0.05), while cuspid smile group (65.1%) and gummy smile group (72.7%) showed statistically significant higher frequency in downward upper lip curvature (P<0.05). It is evident that differences in upper lip curvature and smile classification exist based on race, when comparing Chinese subjects with those of Caucasian descent, and gender.

Objective: To establish the relationship of the gingival crest, the gingival curve characteristic point (inflection point, IP) and the contact points and to use it as reference to design the location of contact area in anterior teeth restoration to form the natural papillae., Methods: Two-dimensional gingival curve morphology analysis based on standardized digital images was done to measure the value of different points in the upper anterior teeth for 120 young Chinese., Results: In the maxillary anterior teeth, the average mesial papilla heights(MPH) of central incisors(CI), lateral incisors(LI), canines(CA) were (4.49 ± 0.86) mm, (3.64 ± 0.77) mm and (4.12 ± 0.92) mm; the average distal gingival papilla heights(DPH) were (4.09 ± 0.72) mm, (3.48 ± 0.83) mm and (4.13 ± 0.94) mm . The relationship of the gingival curve inflection points of maxillary anterior teeth with the gingival zenith and the contact points were determined in horizontal and vertical ways. In the CI, the mesial IP in X and Y axis were 0.61±0.10 and 0.26±0.07, in distal were 0.57±0.10 and 0.25±0.07. In the LI, the mesial IP in X and Y axis were 0.50±0.10 and 0.23±0.08, in distal were 0.56±0.11 and 0.26±0.08. In the CA, the mesial IP in X and Y axis were 0.52±0.09 and 0.23±0.07, the distal IP were 0.60±0.12 and 0.26±0.08., Conclusion: The upper anterior teeth papillae shapes of the different teeth and gingival curves are determined with certain characteristics, and the gingival curve inflection points have some mathematical relationship with the gingival crest and the contact points.

Objective: To develop a novel method for obtaining the clear visualization of the gingival profile by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) that consistently allows the measurements of gingival thickness and use it to explore the relationship between the gingival thickness and gingival biotype, and the gingival thickness and underlying alveolar bone thickness in the maxillary anterior region., Methods: In this study, 15 volunteers with healthy gingiva in the maxillary anterior teeth were involved, and a special preparation was done before CBCT scans including making impression with the contrast agent. The tissue biotypes were assessed clinically with the probe, The thickness of both gingiva and bone and the gingival thickness of the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) were measured radiographically with cone-beam computed tomography scans. All data analyses were performed using SPSS 16.0., Results: The CBCT image showed clear visualization of the gingival profile. The average gingival thickness of the CEJ was (1.22±0.32) mm. A correlation was observed between the tissue biotypes and the gingival thickness (r=0.449,P<0.05). The labial gingival thickness was negative associated with the underlying bone thickness measured with CBCT in the maxillary anterior region (r=-0.31, P=0.021)., Conclusion: A method was established for measuring gingival thickness based on cone-beam computed tomography. The gingival biotypes had a positive correlation with gingival thickness of the CEJ.

With the study of the characteristic of luminescence solar concentrator, a simple and practicable Monte Carlo simulation system was invented based on ray tracing method. PbSe quantum dots were successfully introduced into this system, and the optical parameter and quantum dots concentration were simulated and optimized. The cost per unit of the solar cell base on luminescence solar concentrator was investigated, and it was found that the cost of traditional solar cells can be reduced by 49.2%.

Acid rain, as a worldwide environmental issue, can cause serious damage to plants. In this study, we provided the first case study on the systematic responses of arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.) to simulated acid rain (SiAR) by transcriptome approach. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the expression of a set of genes related to primary metabolisms, including nitrogen, sulfur, amino acid, photosynthesis, and reactive oxygen species metabolism, were altered under SiAR. In addition, transport and signal transduction related pathways, especially calcium-related signaling pathways, were found to play important roles in the response of arabidopsis to SiAR stress. Further, we compared our data set with previously published data sets on arabidopsis transcriptome subjected to various stresses, including wound, salt, light, heavy metal, karrikin, temperature, osmosis, etc. The results showed that many genes were overlapped in several stresses, suggesting that plant response to SiAR is a complex process, which may require the participation of multiple defense-signaling pathways. The results of this study will help us gain further insights into the response mechanisms of plants to acid rain stress.

Objective: To observe the relationship between changes in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activity and blood plasma glucose after administration of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) for one year in patients with hypertension., Methods: 108 hypertensive patients were given 12.5 mg HCTZ per day for one year. RAAS activity, plasma glucose levels, and other biochemical parameters, as well as plasma oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels, were measured and analyzed at baseline, six weeks, and one year after treatment., Results: After one year of treatment, the reduction in plasma glucose observed between the elevated plasma renin activity (PRA) group (-0.26 ± 0.26 mmol/L) and the nonelevated PRA group (-1.36 ± 0.23 mmol/L) was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The decrease of plasma glucose in the elevated Ang II group (-0.17 ± 0.18 mmol/L) compared to the nonelevated Ang II group (-1.07 ± 0.21 mmol/L) was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The proportion of patients with elevated plasma glucose in the elevated Ang II group (40.5%) was significantly higher than those in the nonelevated Ang II group (16.3%) (P < 0.05). The relative oxLDL level was not affected by the treatment., Conclusions: Changes in RAAS activity were correlated with changes in plasma glucose levels after one year of HCTZ therapy.

The prognostic value of the fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14) expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR), western blot assays and immunohistochemistry analysis were here performed in order to compare Fn14 expressions in paired liver samples of HCC and normal liver tissue. Most of the tumor tissues expressed significantly higher levels of Fn14 compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues, with Fn14High accounting for 54.6% (142/260) of all patients. The Pearson χ(2) test indicated that Fn14 expression was closely associated with serum alpha fetal protein (AFP) (P=0.002) and tumor number (p=0.019). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that along with tumor diameter and portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT ) type, Fn14 was an independent prognostic factor for both overall survival (OS) (HR=1.398, p=0.008) and recurrence (HR=1.541, p=0.001) rates. Fn14 overexpression HCC correlated with poor surgical outcome, and this molecule may be a candidate biomarker for prognosis as well as a target for therapy.

Objective: To explore the molecular basis of an individual featuring an ABx variant of ABO blood group system., Methods: Serological assays were used to characterize the erythrocyte phenotypes and salivary ABH secretors. All of the seven exons and flanking introns of ABO glycosyltransferase gene were amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). And the products were sequenced bidirectionally following enzyme digestion. Exons 6 and 7 were also subcloned and analyzed for haplotypes of the ABO gene., Results: Erythrocytes of the proband have expressed a strong A antigen and a weak B antigen, which was identified as a rare ABx variant in addition with other serological features. Nine heterozygous sites in exon 6 (297A/G) and exon 7 (467C/T, 526C/G, 657C/T, 703G/A, 796C/A, 803G/C, 808T/A, 930G/A) of the coding region of the ABO gene were identified. Based on haplotype analysis, one allele was determined as common A102, whilst another was consistent with B101 except for an 808T>A mutation which has resulted in replacement of phenylalanine with isoleucine at position 270 of glycosyltransferase B., Conclusion: The 808T>A mutation of the glycosyltransferase B gene may decrease the enzymatic activity and result in the Bx variant.

Folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) is the key enzyme that converts chemotherapy drug Methotrexate (MTX) into MTXPG. The expression level of FPGS directly influences MTX-sensitivity of tumor cells. Compared with B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL), T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (T-ALL) cells express a lower level of FPGS, which results in insensitivity of the cells to MTX. Our previous work has demonstrated that 279 bp mbr element located within the 3'-UTR of the BCL2 gene possesses enhancer function. In this study, FPGS expression plasmid containing mbr element at the 5' upstream of the gene was constructed and transfected into Jurkat cells to sensitize the cells to MTX. Western blotting and MTT assay were applied to detect the FPGS expression level and suppression rate of the cells treated by MTX, respectively. We found that the mbr enhanced the expression of FPGS significantly and increased sensitivity of Jurkat cells to MTX efficiently, while FPGS expression plasmid without mbr element had less effect. Our data provides a new clue for the clinical application of mbr regulatory element and may contribute to improvement of MTX treatment in T-ALL.

Objective: To observe the effect of modified surgical crown lengthening procedure and discuss the factors which could affect the periodontal health of the operated teeth., Methods: Seventeen patients, a total of 20 teeth, who received the modified crown lengthening surgery were recruited in a retrospective study (1 - 6 years). The periodontal status of the operated teeth was compared with the adjacent and the contralateral natural teeth respectively., Results: One out of seventeen patients appeared root fracture after surgery, one patient wasn't satisfied with the color of the molar's metal crown, other fifteen patients were satisfied with the esthetics and function of the teeth. The sites where probing depth was 4 mm just accounted for 4% (5/120) of the operated teeth, and the probing depth of the other sites was less than or equal to 3 mm. Although 83% (33/40) of buccal and lingual sites of the teeth exhibited various degrees of bleeding index, the periodontal indices of the operated teeth and the adjacent teeth. The position of the crown margin had a significantly negative correlation with the bleeding index (r = -0.742), and the plaque index was moderately correlated with the bleeding index (r = 0.480)., Conclusions: The modified surgical crown lengthening indicated a good effect, which could be an alternative method to save the residual crown and root. The position of crown margin might be the main factor which influences the periodontal health of the teeth.

Chenopodium ambrosioides is an invasive species, which has strong allelopathic effect on surrounding plants. In this study, the methods of soil culture and filter paper culture were adopted to simulate the eluviation and volatilization of the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides, respectively, and to investigate the allelopathy of the volatile oil on the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities of Vicia faba root tip cells, with the mechanisms of the induced tip cell apoptosis analyzed. At the early stage (24 h) of soil culture and filter paper culture, the superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase activities of the tip cells decreased after an initial increase with the increasing dose of the volatile oil, and the malondialdehyde content of the tip cells increased with the increasing volatile oil dose and treated time. At the midterm (48 h) and later (72 h) stages of soil culture and filter paper culture, a typical DNA ladder strip appeared, suggesting that the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides could induce the apoptosis of the tip cells, and the apoptosis was dose- and time dependent. This study showed that the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides could act on its surrounding plants via eluviation and volatilization, making the lipid peroxidation of acceptor plants aggravated and the antioxidant enzyme activities of the plants inhibited, resulting in the oxidative damage and apoptosis of the plant root tip cells, and accordingly, the inhibition of the plant growth. Under soil culture, the root tip cells of V. faba had higher antioxidant enzyme activities and lesser DNA damage, suggesting that the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides via volatilization had stronger allelopathy on the growth of surrounding plants than via eluviation.

Tyrosinase plays a central role in biological pigment formation, and hence knowledge of tyrosinase catalytic mechanisms and regulation may have medical, cosmetic, and agricultural applications. We found in this study that arabinose significantly inhibited tyrosinase, and this was accompanied by conformational changes in enzyme structure. Kinetic analysis showed that arabinose-mediated inactivation followed first-order kinetics, and single and multiple classes of rate constants were measured. Arabinose displayed a mixed-type inhibitory mechanism with K(i)=0.22±0.07 mM. Measurements of intrinsic and ANS-binding fluorescence showed that arabinose induced tyrosinase to unfold and expose inner hydrophobic regions. We simulated the docking between tyrosinase and arabinose (binding energies were -26.28 kcal/mol for Dock6.3 and -2.02 kcal/mol for AutoDock4.2) and results suggested that arabinose interacts mostly with His61, Asn260, and Met280. The present strategy of predicting tyrosinase inhibition by simulation of docking by hydroxyl groups may prove useful in screening for potential tyrosinase inhibitors, as shown here for arabinose., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Arginine kinase (AK) is a key metabolic enzyme for keeping energy balance in invertebrates. Therefore, regulation of the enzymatic activity and the folding studies of AK from the various invertebrates have been the focus of investigation. We studied the effects of helical structures by using hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) on AK folding. Folding kinetic studies showed that the folding rates of the urea-denatured AKs were significantly decelerated after being induced in various concentrations of HFIP. AK lost its activity completely at concentrations greater than 60%. The results indicated that the HFIP-induced helical structures in the denatured state play a negative role in protein folding, and the helical structures induced in 5% (v/v) HFIP act as the most effective barrier against AK taking its native structure. The computational docking simulations (binding energies for -2.19 kcal/mol for AutoDock4.2 and -20.47 kcal/mol for Dock6.3) suggested that HFIP interacts with the several important residues that are predicted by both programs. The excessively pre-organized helical structures not only hampered the folding process, but also ultimately brought about changes in the three-dimensional conformation and biological function of AK.

Objective: To investigate the smile esthetic elements of Chinese Han-nationality female based on high definition (HD) digital camera with computer-image measuring technique., Methods: HD digital camera was used to capture spontaneous smile process combined with computer-image measuring technique to establish the analysis method of smile. Ninety-nine Han-nationality female with normal gingiva, aged from 20 to 30 years were recruited. The lip-incisor edge distance, gingival display were measured. The data was statistically analyzed., Results: A standard and objective method to analyze spontaneous smile was established. Forty-three percent (43/99) of the subjects studied were classified as having a high smile and average smile respectively, 13% (13/99) as having a low smile. Gingival display accounted for (1.34 ± 0.98) mm in high smile type., Conclusions: Average smile and high smile type were most common in the Chinese Han-nationality female studied.

Objective: To establish a convenient, objective and applicable method to assess gingival biotype using periodontal probing., Methods: A total of 66 maxillary anterior teeth from 14 volunteers (6 males, 8 females) with healthy gingiva, aged from 20 to 30 years, were recruited in this study. The gingival biotypes were evaluated by whether or not the outline of the periodontal probe was clear inside the gingiva. Gingival thickness of the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) in upper anterior teeth was measured by cone-beam CT (CBCT)., Results: The method of periodontal probing-assessed gingival biotype had good consistency and repeatability. The result of probing-assessed gingival biotype was consistent with that obtained by CBCT. The mean thickness of gingiva in thin, compromised and thick gingival biotype was (1.02 ± 0.20), (1.28 ± 0.25) and (1.46 ± 0.25) mm. These differences were significant for all three comparisons (P = 0.001, respectively)., Conclusions: Periodontal probing-assessed gingival biotype is a simple, relatively objective and suitable method for clinical examination.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are common genetic material changes that often occur naturally. SNPs can cause amino acid replacements that may lead to severe diseases, such as the well-known sickle-cell anemia. We constructed eight SNP mutants of human brain-type creatine kinase (CKB) based on bioinformatics predictions. The biochemical and biophysical characteristics of these SNP mutants were determined and compared to those of the wild-type creatine kinase to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of possible creatine kinase SNP-induced diseases. While the reactivation of six SNP mutants after heat shock dropped more than 45%, only three of them showed notable increases in ANS fluorescence intensity and decreases in catalytic efficiency. Among them, H26Y and P36T bind substrates as well as the wild-type form does, but the melting temperatures (T(m)) dropped below body temperature, while the T59I mutant exhibited decreased catalytic activity that was most likely due to the much reduced binding affinity of this mutant for substrates. These findings indicate that SNPs such as H26Y, P36T and T59I have the potential to induce genetic diseases by different mechanisms.

We investigated the effects of trehalose on thermal inactivation and aggregation of human brain-type creatine kinase (hBBCK) in this study. In the presence of 1.0 M trehalose, the midpoint temperature of thermal inactivation (T (m)) of hBBCK increased by 4.6 °C, and the activation energy (E (a)) for thermal inactivation increased from 29.7 to 41.1 kJ mol(-1). Intrinsic fluorescence spectra also showed an increase in the apparent transition temperature (T (1/2)) of hBBCK from 43.0 °C to 46.5 °C, 47.7 °C, and 49.9 °C in 0, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.2 M trehalose, respectively. In addition, trehalose significantly blocked the aggregation of hBBCK during thermal denaturation. Our results indicate that trehalose has potential applications as a thermal stabilizer and may aid in the folding of other enzymes in addition to hBBCK.

Objective: To explore the mRNA expression of breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) in tumor cells isolated from malignant pleural and peritoneal effusions, and the predictive role of BRCA1 related to the efficacy of cisplatin-based chemotherapy., Methods: Tumor cells were isolated from malignant pleural and peritoneal effusions of 31 cancer patients. The response of these tumor cells to cisplatin was determined by CCK8 assay. Real time quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine the BRCA1 mRNA level in the primary culture cancer cells., Results: The expression level of BRCA1 mRNA was 0.618 (0.014 - 18.063) in primary culture tumor cells. The IC(50) of DDP was 2.809 µg/ml in the primary culture tumor cells (0.118 - 19.439 µg/ml). Both BRCA1 mRNA expression and the tumor cells IC(50) of DDP were not significantly related with patient age, gender, the type of primary tumor, whether to accept the chemotherapy and effusion type (P > 0.05). The level of BRCA1 mRNA was negatively correlated with the chemosensitivity in terms of IC(50) of cisplatin (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Assessment of expression level of BRCA1 mRNA may be useful in predicting the efficacy of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic malignant effusions.

Creatine kinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.2) is related to several skin diseases such as psoriasis and dermatomyositis. CK is important in skin energy homeostasis because it catalyzes the reversible transfer of a phosphoryl group from MgATP to creatine. In this study, we predicted CK binding proteins via the use of bioinformatic tools such as protein-protein interaction (PPI) mappings and suggest the putative hub proteins for CK interactions. We obtained 123 proteins for brain type CK and 85 proteins for muscle type CK in the interaction networks. Among them, several hub proteins such as NFKB1, FHL2, MYOC, and ASB9 were predicted. Determination of the binding factors of CK can further promote our understanding of the roles of CK in physiological conditions.

Objective: To measure the width of keratinized gingiva and attached gingiva of anterior dental arch in order to establish reference guidance for periodontal surgery., Methods: A total of 120 healthy Chinese Han-nationality volunteers aged 20 - 30 years with healthy gingival tissue were recruited. The width of anterior labial dental arch, keratinized gingiva of gingival zenith, depth of gingival sulcus, and the width of coronal-apical keratinized gingiva of interdental papilla were measured respectively and the data were statistically analyzed., Results: The width of keratinized gingiva and attached gingiva at gingival zenith varied for each individual and tooth location, ranging up to (5.6 ± 1.3) mm in the anterior maxillary region and (4.5 ± 1.1) mm in the anterior submandibular region. The width decreased over the canine and first premolar and increased slightly over the second premolar. The width of keratinized gingiva at interdental papilla ranged from (6.2 ± 1.3) mm to (8.9 ± 1.4) mm in the maxilla and from (5.8 ± 1.0) mm to (7.6 ± 0.9) mm in the mandible. The narrowest width of keratinized gingiva at interdental papilla was located over central incisors., Conclusions: There is a variation of width on labial keratinized gingiva of anterior dental arch of Han nationality youth among different individuals and tooth locations.

Folic acid was covalently conjugated to bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSANP) to target the nanoparticles to SKOV3 cells expressing folate receptors. Mitoxantrone was incorporated into the folate-conjugated albumin nanoparticles, and the final nanoparticle size was 68 nm, as measured by a laser light scattering particle analyzer. The cytotoxic activity of mitoxantrone- loaded, folate-conjugated albumin nanoparticles (MTO-BSANP-folate), which was quantitated by (3)H-thymidine incorporation, was higher than mitoxantrone-loaded BSANP (MTO-BSANP) and MTO solution, and could be inhibited by free folic acid. MTO-BSANPfolate may be endocytosed via the folate receptor on the surface of SKOV3 cells. MTO-BSANPfolate also inhibited tumor growth better than the MTO-BSANP and MTO solution in vivo. These results indicate that folate-conjugated BSANP may have therapeutic potential as a vector for anticancer drugs in cancer chemotherapy.