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To compare schizophrenia-specific quality of life measures, this study examined an 18-item Chinese version of 41-item Quality of Life Questionnaire in Schizophrenia (S-QoL; S-QoL-18-C) using 41 patients. The S-QoL-18-C was validated and compared with Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-Revision 4 (SQLS-R4). Index scores of S-QoL-18-C showed nearly identical psychometrics to S-QoL-C and S-QoL-18. No significant ceiling/floor effects were found, except with psychological and selfesteem subscales. Internal consistency was acceptable for whole scale and all subscales, except family relationships and sentimental life. Test-retest reliability was moderate to high (ICC=0.58-87). Score distributions and reliability of S-QoL-18-C were slightly lower than those of S-QoL-C. Convergent validity was supported by satisfactory correlations between subscales/index scores of S-QoL-18-C and similar scales (r=∣-0.35 ∣ to 0.80) and between corresponding subscales in S-QoL-18-C and S-QoL-C (r=0.85-0.97). S-QoL-18-C and SQLS-R4 demonstrated discriminant validity by differentiating among 30 patients with symptom remission, 30 patients without symptom remission, and 30 healthy individuals. Two patient groups were classified by criteria proposed by Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group. Three groups were controlled for five factors. Furthermore SQLS-R4, but not S-QoL-18-C, differentiated between patient groups with different hospitalization frequencies. Overall, S-QoL-18-C and SQLS-R4 show different advantages psychometrically., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the present study was to identify the effect of canavanine on the imidazoline receptor because canavanine is a guanidinium derivative that has a similar structure to imidazoline receptor ligands. Transfected Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells expressing imidazoline receptors (nischarin (NISCH)-CHO-K1 cells) were used to elucidate the direct effects of canavanine on imidazoline receptors. In addition, the imidazoline I3 receptor has been implicated in stimulation of insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. Wistar rats were used to investigate the effects of canavanine (0.1, 1 and 2.5 mg/kg, i.v.) on insulin secretion. In addition the a specific I3 receptor antagonist KU14R (4 or 8 mg/kg, i.v.) was used to block I3 receptors. Canavanine decreased blood glucose by increasing plasma insulin in rats. In addition, canavanine increased calcium influx into NISCH-CHO-K1 cells in a manner similar to agmatine, the endogenous ligand of imidazoline receptors. Moreover, KU12R dose-dependently attenuated canavanine-induced insulin secretion in HIT-T15 pancreatic β-cells and in the plasma of rats. The data suggest that canavanine is an agonist of I3 receptors both in vivo and in vitro. Thus, canavanine would be a useful tool in imidazoline receptor research., (© 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

Objective: To study the mechanism of cecropinA-mangainin treatment on the meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus anreus biofilms., Methods: The activity of the hybrid antibacterial peptide against Staphylococcus anreus was evaluated by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test and its effect on the bacteria membrane changes were observed through transmission electron microscope. The concentration of K+ of the tested bacterial liquid after interact with antibacterial peptide was detected with atomic absorption spectrometer. The changes of the treated bacteria biofilm was also evaluated by using flow cytometry., Results: The results demonstrated that the MIC of the peptide against Staphylococcus aureus was 64 microg/mL. The ultrastructure changes of the meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus anreus membrane and the rising concentration of intracellular K+ were observed. And increased number of PI positive cells was also observed after hybrid antibacterial peptide treatmennt., Conclusion: The hybrid antibacterial peptide could kill the meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus anreus by damage the treated bacteria membrane.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions in particulate and gas phases generated from smoldering mosquito coils containing various atomic H/C ratios were examined. Five types of mosquito coils were burned in a test chamber with a total airflow rate of 8.0 L/min at a constant relative humidity and temperature. The concentrations of individual PAHs were determined using the GC/MS technique. Among the used mosquito coils, the atomic H/C ratio ranged from 1.23 to 1.57, yielding total mass, gaseous, and particulate PAH emission factors of 28.17-78.72 mg/g, 26,139.80-35,932.98 and 5735.22-13,431.51 ng/g, respectively. The various partitions of PAHs in the gaseous and particulate phases were in the ranges, 70.26-83.70% and 16.30-29.74% for the utilized mosquito coils. The carcinogenic potency of PAH emissions in the particulate phase (203.82-797.76 ng/g) was approximately 6.92-25.08 times higher than that of the gaseous phase (26.27-36.07 ng/g). Based on the analyses of PAH emissions, mosquito coils containing the lowest H/C ratio, a low oxygen level, and additional additives (i.e., CaCO3) are recommended for minimizing the production of total PAH emission factors and carcinogenic potency., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the effect of platelet-rich fibrin on biologic characteristics of osteoblasts., Methods: Osteoblasts were cultured with or without a PRF membrane. The cell proliferation was detected by MTT. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) stain and the positive expression of collagen type I, osteoprotegerin and RANKL were measured. The data was statistically analyzed with SPSS17.0 software package., Results: PRF promoted cell proliferation and increased expression of ALP, collagen typeI and OPG significantly, but there was no significant impact on expression of RANKL., Conclusions: PRF promotes osteoblasts proliferation, differentiation and OPG expression. PRF is involved in bone remodeling via regulating expression of OPG and RANKL.

A series of 1,2,3-triazole phenylhydrazone derivatives were designed and synthesized as antifungal agents. Their structures were determined based on (1)H-NMR spectroscopy, MS, elemental analysis and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The antifungal activities were evaluated against four phytopathogenic fungi including Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium graminearum and Phytophthora capsici, by the mycelium growth inhibition method in vitro. Compound 5p exhibited significant anti-phytopathogenic activity, with the EC50 values of 0.18, 2.28, 1.01, and 1.85 μg mL(-1), respectively. In vivo testing demonstrated that 5p was effective in the control of rice sheath blight, rape sclerotinia rot and fusarium head blight. A 3D-QSAR model was built for a systematic SAR profile to explore more potent 1,2,3-triazole phenylhydrazone analogs as novel fungicides.

The objective of this prospective longitudinal study was to assess the nature, rate, predictive variables, and neuroimaging characteristics of novel (new-onset) anxiety disorders (compared with no novel anxiety disorders) 6-12 months after pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Psychiatric and psychosocial interviews were administered to children who sustained mild to severe TBI at baseline (soon after injury) and at the 12-month follow-up post-injury (n= 125). The psychiatric outcome of children 12-months post-injury revealed that novel anxiety disorders present in the second six months after TBI were heterogeneous and occurred in 13 (10.4%) participants. Novel anxiety disorder was significantly associated with concurrent novel depressive disorder and with novel personality change due to TBI. Novel anxiety disorder was marginally associated with younger age at injury and with pre-injury anxiety disorder in univariate analyses. Age at injury, pre-injury anxiety disorder, and personality change due to TBI were each significantly and independently related to novel anxiety disorder in a logistic regression analysis. There were no significant neuroimaging group differences. These findings suggest that the emergence of novel anxiety disorder after TBI might be related to a broader problem of affective dysregulation especially in younger children and those with a vulnerability even to pre-injury anxiety disorder.

The erythropoietin (Epo) receptor (EpoR) is expressed in the brain and was shown to have neuroprotective effects against brain damage in animal models. A recent study indicated that EpoR and its activity are the downstream effectors of Klotho for cytoprotection in the kidney. Thus, we propose that Klotho can stimulate the expression of EpoR in neuronal cells to enhance Epo-mediated protection. H19-7 hippocampal neuronal cells were treated with recombinant Klotho. In H19-7 cells, Klotho increased the expression of both the EpoR protein and mRNA. Klotho also enhanced the transcription activity of the EpoR promoter in H19-7 cells. Moreover, Klotho augmented the Epo-triggered phosphorylation of Jak2 and Stat5 and protected H19-7 cells from hydrogen peroxide cytotoxicity. The silencing of EpoR abolished the protective effect of Klotho against peroxide-induced cytotoxicity. Finally, the silencing of GATA1 diminished the Klotho-induced increase in EpoR protein and mRNA expression as well as its promoter activity. In conclusion, Klotho increased EpoR expression in neuronal cells through GATA1, thereby enabling EpoR to function as a cytoprotective protein against oxidative injury.

Tau tubulin kinase 2 (TTBK2) is a kinase known to phosphorylate tau and tubulin. It has recently drawn much attention due to its involvement in multiple important cellular processes. Here, we review the current understanding of TTBK2, including its sequence, structure, binding sites, phosphorylation substrates, and cellular processes involved. TTBK2 possesses a casein kinase 1 (CK1) kinase domain followed by a ~900 amino acid segment, potentially responsible for its localization and substrate recruitment. It is known to bind to CEP164, a centriolar protein, and EB1, a microtubule plus-end tracking protein. In addition to autophosphorylation, known phosphorylation substrates of TTBK2 include tau, tubulin, CEP164, CEP97, and TDP-43, a neurodegeneration-associated protein. Mutations of TTBK2 are associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 11. In addition, TTBK2 is essential for regulating the growth of axonemal microtubules in ciliogenesis. It also plays roles in resistance of cancer target therapies and in regulating glucose and GABA transport. Reported sites of TTBK2 localization include the centriole/basal body, the midbody, and possibly the mitotic spindles. Together, TTBK2 is a multifunctional kinase involved in important cellular processes and demands augmented efforts in investigating its functions.

Objective: To explore the regulatory T cells (Treg) in the peripheral blood of diabetic retinopathy patients by microRNA-155 (miR-155), and investigate the mechanisms of regulatory T cells and miR-155 in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy., Patients and Methods: The study explores the percentage of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ T cells (Treg cells) and the expression of miR-155 in the peripheral blood of 20 cases with background diabetic retinopathy (BDR group) and 20 cases with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR group). Flow cytometry and RT-PCR determined 18 cases with non-diabetic retinopathy (NDR group) and 20 cases of healthy control (NC group). ELISA determined the expression of TGF-β., Results: The percentages of Treg cells in the peripheral blood of patients in BDR group, PDR group, and NDR group had significantly decreased compared to that in the NC group (p < 0.05). The percentages of the Treg cells in the BDR and PDR groups were lower than those in NDR group (p < 0.05 in both cases). The percentage of Treg cells in the PDR group was lower than that in the BDR group (p < 0.05). The expression levels of miR-155 in the peripheral blood of the patients in the BDR group, PDR group, and NDR group had significantly increased compared to that in NC group (p < 0.05). The expression levels of miR-155 in the BDR group and PDR group were higher than that in the NDR group (p < 0.05 in both cases). The expression level of miR-155 in the PDR group was higher than that in the BDR group (p < 0.05). The expression levels of TGF-β in the BDR group and PDR group were significantly decreased compared to those in the NDR group and NC group (p < 0.05 in both cases). The expression of miR-155 was negatively related to the Treg cells and the expression level of TGF-β2 (r1 = -0.835, p1 = 0.000, r2 = -0.771, p2 = 0.000)., Conclusions: In type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) retinopathy, miR-155 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of T2DM retinopathy by regulating the Treg cells with TGF-β.

This study aimed to better understand the occurrence of novel psychiatric disorders (NPDs) in children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in relation to preinjury variables, injury-related variables, and concurrent neurocognitive outcome. Eighty-seven children aged 5-14 years who had experienced mTBI were studied from consecutive hospital admissions with semistructured psychiatric interviews soon after injury (baseline). Fifty-four children were reassessed 24 months postinjury. Standardized instruments were used to evaluate injury severity, lesion characteristics, preinjury variables (lifetime psychiatric disorder, family psychiatric history, family function, socioeconomic status, psychosocial adversity, adaptive function, and academic function), and finally, postinjury neurocognitive and adaptive function. At 24 months postinjury, NPDs had occurred in 17 of 54 (31%) participants. NPD at 24 months was related to frontal white matter lesions and was associated with estimated preinjury reading, preinjury adaptive function, and concurrent deficits in reading, processing speed, and adaptive function. These findings extend earlier reports that the psychiatric morbidity after mTBI in children is more common than previously thought, and moreover, it is linked to preinjury individual variables and injury characteristics and is associated with postinjury adaptive and neurocognitive functioning.

Several psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), are associated with increased blood markers of oxidative stress. The relevance of this to the oxidation-sensitive hippocampus (HC) is unknown. We investigated the relationship between peripheral oxidative stress markers and HC volume in unmedicated individuals with MDD (n=16) and healthy controls (n=19). To conserve power, our primary analysis was carried out in the combined group of subjects, and secondary analyses examined each group separately. Oxidative stress markers (oxidized glutathione (GSSG)) and antioxidants (reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), and Vitamin C) were assessed, and a "total net antioxidant score" was calculated. 4-T MRI estimated total HC volume and HC subfield (CA1, CA1-CA2 transition zone, subiculum and CA3/dentate gyrus [CA3&DG]) volumes. Across groups, the antioxidant score was significantly and positively correlated with total HC volume and CA3&DG subfield volume (normalized to total intracranial volume), adjusting for age and sex. Similar relationships were observed in each individual group but missed statistical significance, likely due to type II errors, with the exception of a significant correlation between the antioxidant score and CA3&DG volume in the MDD group. These preliminary data are consistent with oxidative stress being associated with smaller total HC and CA3&DG subfield volumes., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The total and partial solubility parameters (dispersion, polar and hydrogen-bonding solubility parameters) of ten ionic liquids were determined. Intrinsic viscosity approaches were used that encompassed a one-dimensional method (1D-Method), and two different three-dimensional methods (3D-Method1 and 3D-Method2). The effect of solvent type, the dimethylacetamide (DMA) fraction in the ionic liquid, and dissolution temperature on solubility parameters were also investigated. For all types of effect, both the 1D-Method and 3D-Method2 present the same trend in the total solubility parameter. The partial solubility parameters are influenced by the cation and anion of the ionic liquid. Considering the effect on partial solubility parameters of the solvent type in the ionic liquid, it was observed that in both 3D methods, the dispersion and polar parameters of a 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate/solvent (60:40 vol %) mixture tend to increase as the total solubility parameter of the solvent increases., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The current work reports a type of "smart" lanthanide-based theranostic nanoprobe, NaDyF4:Yb(3+)/NaGdF4:Yb(3+),Er(3+), which is able to circumvent the up-converting poisoning effect of Dy(3+) ions to give efficient near infrared (980 nm) triggered up-conversion fluorescence, and offers not only excellent dark T2-weighted MR contrast but also tunable bright and T1-weighted MR contrast properties. Due to the efficient up-converted energy transfer from the nanocrystals to chlorin e6 (Ce6) photosensitizers loaded onto the nanocrystals, cytotoxic singlet oxygen was generated and photodynamic therapy was demonstrated. Therefore, the current multifunctional nanocrystals could be potentially useful in various image-guided diagnoses where bright or dark MRI contrast could be selectively tuned to optimize image quality, but also as an efficient and more penetrative near-infrared activated photodynamic therapy agent.

The present study compared executive dysfunction among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) after traumatic brain injury (TBI), also called secondary ADHD (S-ADHD), pre-injury ADHD and children with TBI only (i.e., no ADHD). Youth aged 6-16 years admitted for TBI to five trauma centers were enrolled (n=177) and evaluated with a semi-structured psychiatric interview scheduled on three occasions (within 2 weeks of TBI, i.e., baseline assessment for pre-injury status; 6-months and 12-months post-TBI). This permitted the determination of 6- and 12-month post-injury classifications of membership in three mutually exclusive groups (S-ADHD; pre-injury ADHD; TBI-only). Several executive control measures were administered. Unremitted S-ADHD was present in 17/141 (12%) children at the 6-month assessment, and in 14/125 (11%) children at 12-months post-injury. The study found that children with S-ADHD exhibited deficient working memory, attention, and psychomotor speed as compared to children with pre-injury ADHD. Furthermore, the children with S-ADHD and the children with TBI-only were impaired compared to the children with pre-injury ADHD with regard to planning. No group differences related to response inhibition emerged. Age, but not injury severity, gender, or adaptive functioning was related to executive function outcome. Neuropsychological sequelae distinguish among children who develop S-ADHD following TBI and those with TBI only. Moreover, there appears to be a different pattern of executive control performance in those who develop S-ADHD than in children with pre-injury ADHD suggesting that differences exist in the underlying neural mechanisms that define each disorder, underscoring the need to identify targeted treatment interventions., Competing Interests: The other authors have no disclosures.

With the rapid development of the information technology, the health care technologies already became matured. Such as electronic medical records that can be easily stored. However, how to get medical resources more convenient is currently concerning issue. In spite of many literatures discussed about medical systems, these literatures should face many security challenges. The most important issue is patients' privacy. Therefore, we propose a privacy authentication scheme based on cloud environment. In our scheme, we use mobile device's characteristics, allowing peoples to use medical resources on the cloud environment to find medical advice conveniently. The digital signature is used to ensure the security of the medical information that is certified by the medical department in our proposed scheme.

Increase of μ-opioid receptor (MOR) expression in liver of diabetic rats has been mentioned to associate with hyperglycemia that can activate the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway. Additionally, STAT3 may regulate the expression of MOR genes. In the present study, role of STAT3 in the regulation of increased MOR expression was investigated in diabetic rats and cultured rat skeletal myoblast (L6) cells. Streptozotocin-induced type 1-like diabetic rats (STZ rats) were used to estimate the response to MOR agonist (loperamide) and the changes in MOR expression. Then, cultured L6 cells incubated in high glucose (HG) medium were used to mimic the in vivo changes. Loperamide-induced hypoglycemia was more pronounced in STZ rats. The increased MOR expression in skeletal muscle of STZ rats was reversed by the reduction of hyperglycemia. Increased MOR expression and the enhanced expression of STAT3 observed in HG-exposed cultured L6 cells. Treatment with siRNA specific to STAT3 reversed the increased expression of MOR in this cell model. Treatment with stattic at a dose sufficient to inhibit STAT3 reversed MOR expression in STZ rats. We identified that hyperglycemia induces a greater expression of STAT3 to result in the increased expression of MOR, both in vivo and in vitro., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Numerous studies have indicated that rising ozone (O3) in the troposphere significantly decreased the photosynthesis and the activity of Rubisco enzyme. So it can be inferred that the N uptake and distribution within the plants could be affected by elevated O3. In this study, ten greening woody species, widely distributed in subtropical China, were exposed to charcoal-filtered air (CF, less than 20 nL · L(-1)) and elevated O3 (E-O3, mean concentration of 150 nL · L(-1)) in open top chambers. The results showed that E-O3 significantly reduced the leaves biomass in Liquidamba formosana by 20.9%, the stem biomass in Liriodendron chinense by 21.4%, the root biomass in L. formosana and L. chinense by 24.2% and 32.5%, respectively. E-O3 significantly affected the N concentration in the stem but not those in leaves and root. The N uptakes in the whole tree (Nlu), the leaves and the root were significantly affected by E-O3. Compared to CF, E-O3 significantly reduced the Nlu in L. chinense by 28.4% and Schima superba by 22.7% but significantly increased the Nlu in Neolitsea sericea by 15.5%. Elevated O3 concentration had no significant influence on N distribution within the plants across the selected 10 tree species.

In recent years, health care technologies already became matured such as electronic medical records that can be easily stored. However, how to get medical resources more convenient is currently concern issue. In spite of many literatures discussed about medical systems, but these literatures should face many security challenges. The most important issue is patients' privacy. Therefore, we propose a secure medical data exchange protocol based on cloud environment. In our scheme, we use mobile device's characteristics, allowing peoples use medical resources on the cloud environment to seek medical advice conveniently.

Seven new iboga-type alkaloids, ervaoffines A-D (1-4), (7S)-3-oxoibogaine hydroxyindolenine (5), ibogaine-5,6-dione (6), and 19-epi-5-oxovoacristine (7), and 10 known alkaloids were isolated from Ervatamia officinalis. The absolute configurations of 1-7 were determined through X-ray diffraction and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analyses. Ervaoffines A and B represent the first iboga-type pseudoindoxyl alkaloids in which the C-2 spiro carbon configuration is opposite to that of other members of this class, such as iboluteine (8). The relationship between the absolute configuration of the spiro carbons and the Cotton effect in the ECD spectrum is established for the first time for iboga-type pseudoindoxyl and oxindole alkaloids. Additionally, a plausible biogenetic pathway for these alkaloids is proposed.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the current leading causes of disability worldwide. Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the onset of depression, with MDD affecting 8-20% of all youth. Traditional treatment methods have not been sufficiently effective to slow the increasing prevalence of adolescent depression. We therefore propose a new model for the treatment of adolescent depression - Training for Awareness, Resilience, and Action (TARA) - that is based on current understanding of developmental and depression neurobiology. The TARA model is aligned with the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) of the National Institute of Mental Health. In this article, we first address the relevance of RDoC to adolescent depression. Second, we identify the major RDoC domains of function involved in adolescent depression and organize them in a way that gives priority to domains thought to be driving the psychopathology. Third, we select therapeutic training strategies for TARA based on current scientific evidence of efficacy for the prioritized domains of function in a manner that maximizes time, resources, and feasibility. The TARA model takes into consideration the developmental limitation in top-down cognitive control in adolescence and promotes bottom-up strategies such as vagal afference to decrease limbic hyperactivation and its secondary effects. The program has been informed by mindfulness-based therapy and yoga, as well as modern psychotherapeutic techniques. The treatment program is semi-manualized, progressive, and applied in a module-based approach designed for a group setting that is to be conducted one session per week for 12 weeks. We hope that this work may form the basis for a novel and more effective treatment strategy for adolescent depression, as well as broaden the discussion on how to address this challenge.

Objective: Despite the significant prevalence of adolescent depression, little is known about the neuroanatomical basis of this disorder. Functional dysregulation in frontolimbic circuitry has been suggested as a key neural correlate of adult and adolescent depression impeding emotional regulation. However, less is known about whether this dysregulation is overlaid on impaired white matter microstructure. Guided by neuroimaging findings, we test the a priori hypotheses that adolescent depression is associated with alterations in white matter microstructure in the uncinate fasciculus (UF) and cingulum bundles., Method: Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) data were obtained on 52 unmedicated adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 42 matched controls. We calculated fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) for bilateral UF and cingulum. We also completed a voxelwise comparison of participants with depression and control participants using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS)., Results: Adolescents with depression had significantly lower FA and higher RD in bilateral UF; no significant differences were observed in cingulum. TBSS results additionally revealed lower FA values in the white matter associated with the limbic-cortical-striatal-thalamic circuit, corpus callosum, and anterior and superior corona radiata., Conclusion: Unmedicated adolescent depression is associated with reduced fractional anisotropy in emotion regulatory networks, which may underlie the functional differences in frontolimbic circuitry characterizing depressive disorder. Given the relatively recent onset of depression in our sample, our findings in the context of the current literature provide preliminary evidence that reduced fractional anisotropy in the UF could be a predisposing risk factor for depression., (Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Centrioles are 9-fold symmetric structures duplicating once per cell cycle. Duplication involves self-oligomerization of the centriolar protein SAS-6, but how the 9-fold symmetry is invariantly established remains unclear. Here, we found that SAS-6 assembly can be shaped by preexisting (or mother) centrioles. During S phase, SAS-6 molecules are first recruited to the proximal lumen of the mother centriole, adopting a cartwheel-like organization through interactions with the luminal wall, rather than via their self-oligomerization activity. The removal or release of luminal SAS-6 requires Plk4 and the cartwheel protein STIL. Abolishing either the recruitment or the removal of luminal SAS-6 hinders SAS-6 (or centriole) assembly at the outside wall of mother centrioles. After duplication, the lumen of engaged mother centrioles becomes inaccessible to SAS-6, correlating with a block for reduplication. These results lead to a proposed model that centrioles may duplicate via a template-based process to preserve their geometry and copy number., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Tumor-stroma interactions contribute greatly to intratumoral estrogen biosynthesis in endometrial carcinoma, but the mechanisms involved remain largely unknown. Previous study demonstrated that intratumoral aromatase upregulation in stromal cells participated in this process, but the specific aromatase-regulators have not been reported. In the present study, we found that aromatase expression in intratumoral stroma, but not in tumor epithelium, correlated positively with interleukin 6 (IL-6) expression in cancer epithelial cells by immunohistochemistry, which was confirmed using laser capture microdissection/real-time reverse transcription-PCR. With stimulation by exogenous IL-6, aromarase expression was increased in stromal cells not but not in cancer cells. Aromatase mRNA levels in endometrial cancer cells were not influenced by cocultivation with intratumoral stromal cells. When cocultured with 17β-estradiol (E2 )-treated cancer cells, aromatase mRNA in stromal cells was significantly elevated and increased IL-6 protein levels were detected in E2 -treated culture medium. Next, we demonstrated that E2 -induced IL-6 production was through cooperation between estrogen receptor α and nuclear factor-kappa B. Furthermore, an IL-6 receptor blocking antibody could attenuate the upregulation of aromatase expression in stromal cells and the E2 concentration in coculture systems of cancer and stromal cells. The results were confirmed by an orthotopic nude endometrial carcinoma model in vivo. These studies elucidated the activation of a positive feedback loop, that is, IL-6 stimulated by E2 in endometrial cancer cells induced aromatase expression in stromal cells, promoting enhanced intratumoral E2 synthesis. Blocking of this tumor-stroma interaction may be a therapeutic strategy to overcome in situ estrogen biosynthesis in endometrial carcinoma., (© 2013 UICC.)

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most frequent primary bone sarcoma and tends to develop pulmonary metastasis. Studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are involved in OS growth and metastasis, but the mechanism remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to identify whether homologous MSCs could promote the growth and metastasis of OS in rats with a normal immune system. The OS cell line, UMR-106, which originally derives from a Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat-transplantable osteogenic sarcoma with an osteoblastic phenotype, has a strong carcinogenic capability and a high lung metastasis. Xenotransplanted models of UMR-106 with or without MSCs injected through the tibia (IT) or caudal vein (IV) were established. SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: Control, UMR-106 (IT), MSCs (IV), UMR-106 (IT) + MSCs (IV), UMR-106 (IV) and UMR-106 (IV) + MSCs (IV). Following injection, all rats were sacrificed at week 5, and the volume and quantity of metastatic sarcoma and the serum alkaline phosphatase levels were measured. There was no metastatic sarcoma in the liver, spleen and kidney in all groups. The rats in the MSCs (IV) + UMR-106 (IV) group showed a significantly higher volume and number of pulmonary metastatic tumors than those of the UMR-106 (IV) group. In pulmonary metastatic tissues, MSCs were found in the MSCs (IV) + UMR-106 (IV) group, but not in the UMR-106 (IT) + MSCs (IV) group. Notably, the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was increased in the MSCs + UMR-106 cells co-culture system. The present study indicated that MSCs can significantly promote the pulmonary metastasis of the rat OS cell line, UMR-106, with a normal immune system, and VEGF was involved in MSC-promoted UMR-106 emergence and growth of pulmonary metastasis.

Objective: To investigate the status of blood mineral content of children aged 3 to 12 years in Chinese cities and countryside and explore the possible related influencing factors., Methods: The multistage stratified cluster random sampling was used to select one kindergarten and one primary school in seven cities (Beijing and Guangzhou and so on) and two towns randomly. Firstly, we selected one bottom class, middle class, top class in one kindergarten and one second grade and fifth grade in one primary school randomly. Then all of the healthful students of these classes were investigated and the blood mineral content of calcium, magnesium, lead, iron, copper, and zinc were detected., Results: In the research, 1 842 students were investigated. The means of calcium, magnesium, lead, iron, copper, and zinc were in the standard range. The blood lead content of the boys was higher than that of the girls. The blood mineral content of different ages had statistical significance. The blood calcium and blood copper contents of the preschool children were higher than those of the school children. However, the school children had significantly higher blood lead, iron, and zinc contents in comparison with those of the preschool children. The incidences of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency were 35.5% and 39.6%, respectively. The incidence of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of different ages had statistical significance, and with the age increasing, the incidence showed a decreasing trend. The incidences of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of children whose age was more than or equal to 3 years and less than 4 years were up to 47.1% and 64.6%, respectively. The incidence of iron deficiency of the children in the countryside area was significantly higher than those in the first-tier cities. However, the incidence of zinc deficiency of the children in the countryside area was significantly lower than those in the first-tier cities and second-tier cities., Conclusion: The status of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of children aged 3 to 12 years in Chinese cities and countryside were still serious. We should pay more attention to the nutrition interventional research on iron and zinc.

Southern China hosts coral communities in marginal environments that are characterized by low linear extension rates, low coral cover and/or no reef formation, thus providing natural laboratories to study coral communities with below average growth rates. Here we compare the annual linear extension rates over 10 years (range 1.2 to 11.4 mm yr-1) of six Porites sp. coral cores collected from Hong Kong with monthly hydrographic data from the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department. At all sites, low-density, dry season extension were more variable than high-density, wet season extension and on average, was lower at two of the three sites. We applied multi-variate linear regressions that revealed high-density, wet season band extension to inversely correlate most significantly to temperature (r = -0.39, p<0.01). In contrast, low-density, dry season band extension was more variable and correlated most significantly with dry season chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) (r = 0.64, p<0.001). Additionally, we find that corals at the site with highest dry season Chl-a have the highest dry season extension lengths. Our findings indicate that relative mixing of fresh and salt water in the wet season and primary productivity in the dry season, and their influences on aragonite saturation, are likely to impact interannual coral extension variability in marginal environments.

A new generation of triazole-bridged bilayer cyclodextrins (CDs) chiral stationary phase (CSP) material was constructed via a surface-up 'click' approach. The synergistic effect of the tandem-inverted duplex CDs was evidenced by the superior enantioresolution ability toward selected chiral compounds and the enhanced adsorption ability toward hesperetin. The enantioselectivities of dansyl amino acids and aryl carboxylic acids were promoted by 10-20%, while the resolutions of some aryl carboxylic acids were significantly increased from 0 to 3.5 and beyond. Adsorption experiments of hesperetin reveal that the binding ability of the target bilayer CDCSP is nearly 2.8 times than that of the single layer CDCSP. The current work provides a simple and practical approach to design and synthesize novel functional materials with cooperative CD dimers on surfaces., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To identify the determinants of schizophrenia-specific HRQoL levels, five types of factors (i.e., sociodemographic, clinical, psychopathological, neurocognitive, and psychosocial factors) were simultaneously investigated in the same cross-sectional sample., Methods: A total of 120 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia but not spectrum conditions were recruited by convenience sampling. Subjective HRQoL levels were measured using the disease-specific S-QoL-C. After sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, psychopathological data were self-rated with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) by professionally trained raters. Two neurocognitive assessments were conducted by licensed occupational therapists (OTs). Psychosocial factors were assessed using self-reports measures, including the, General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Social Impact Scale (SIS). All measures were administered in random order. OTs, PANSS raters, and participants were blinded to score computation, and multiple hierarchical regression with the stepwise method was conducted., Results: The S-QoL-C scores were most strongly affected by psychosocial factors and the psychopathological factors, followed by clinical and sociodemographic factors. Total scores on the BDI-II had the largest contributions to S-QoL-C index scores and seven of eight S-QoL-C subscales. In addition, the GSES, RSES, and SIS showed effects across the S-QoL-C subscales. The BDI-II, GSES, and RSES all influenced the S-QoL-C index scores, in addition to the number of hospitalizations., Conclusion: Psychosocial factors and psychopathological factors measured by the BDI-II had the greatest impact on schizophrenia-specific HRQoL levels. Psychiatric treatment programs focusing on psychosocial status and depressive symptoms can improve schizophrenia-specific HRQoL levels., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Keap1 is known to mediate the ubiquitination of Nrf2, a master regulator of the antioxidant response. Directly interrupting the Keap1-Nrf2 interaction has been emerged as a promising strategy to develop novel class of antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and anticancer agents. On the basis of the molecular binding determinants analysis of Keap1, we successfully designed and characterized the most potent protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitor of Keap1-Nrf2, compound 2, with K(D) value of 3.59 nM binding to Keap1 for the first time to single-digit nanomolar. Compound 2 can effectively disrupt the Nrf2-Keap1 interaction with an EC50 of 28.6 nM in the fluorescence polarization assay. It can also activate the Nrf2 transcription activity in the cell-based ARE-luciferase reporter assay in a dose-dependent manner. The qRT-PCR results of Nrf2 transcription targets gave the consistent results. These results confirm direct and highly efficient interruption of the Keap1-Nrf2 PPI can be fully achieved by small molecules.

Biomimetic nanostructures have shown to enhance the optical absorption of Ga(0.5)In(0.5)P/GaAs/Ge triple junction solar cells due to excellent antireflective (AR) properties that, however, are highly dependent on their geometric dimensions. In practice, it is challenging to control fabrication conditions which produce nanostructures in ideal periodic arrangements and with tapered side-wall profiles, leading to sacrificed AR properties and solar cell performance. In this work, we introduce compound biomimetic nanostructures created by depositing a layer of silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) on top of titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanostructures for triple junction solar cells. The device exhibits photogenerated current and power conversion efficiency that are enhanced by ~8.9% and ~6.4%, respectively, after deposition due to their improved antireflection characteristics. We further investigate and verify the optical properties of compound structures via a rigorous coupled wave analysis model. The additional SiO(2) layer not only improves the geometric profile, but also serves as a double-layer dielectric coating. It is concluded that the compound biomimetic nanostructures exhibit superior AR properties that are relatively insensitive to fabrication constraints. Therefore, the compound approach can be widely adopted for versatile optoelectronic devices and applications.

Biomimetic nanostructures have shown to enhance the optical absorption of Ga₀.₅In₀.₅P/GaAs/Ge triple junction solar cells due to excellent antireflective (AR) properties that, however, are highly dependent on their geometric dimensions. In practice, it is challenging to control fabrication conditions which produce nanostructures in ideal periodic arrangements and with tapered side-wall profiles, leading to sacrificed AR properties and solar cell performance. In this work, we introduce compound biomimetic nanostructures created by depositing a layer of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) on top of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanostructures for triple junction solar cells. The device exhibits photogenerated current and power conversion efficiency that are enhanced by ~8.9% and ~6.4%, respectively, after deposition due to their improved antireflection characteristics. We further investigate and verify the optical properties of compound structures via a rigorous coupled wave analysis model. The additional SiO₂ layer not only improves the geometric profile, but also serves as a double-layer dielectric coating. It is concluded that the compound biomimetic nanostructures exhibit superior AR properties that are relatively insensitive to fabrication constraints. Therefore, the compound approach can be widely adopted for versatile optoelectronic devices and applications.

Aims: The aims were to examine the effects of psychotherapy on depressive and anxiety symptoms, the occurrence of suicidal ideations and diurnal cortisol patterns in patients with adjustment disorder (AD) with depressed mood., Methods: Participants recruited from an outpatient department of psychiatry at a general hospital were randomly assigned to one of two groups: 34 in psychotherapy group and 37 in control group. The control group consisted of one-session psychoeducation. Psychotherapy included the eight-weekly body-mind-spirit (BMS) group psychotherapy. Measures included Beck Depression Inventory-II and State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Salivary cortisol samples were collected from the patients at their homes on awakening; 30 and 45 min after awakening; and at 1200, 1700 and 2100 h. Measurements were taken at baseline and at months 2 (end of intervention), 5, 8 and 14., Results: There was no differential change over time between the BMS and control groups in self-reported depression or anxiety symptoms. However, suicidal ideation appeared to be reduced in the psychotherapy group. Changes in diurnal cortisol patterns were also significantly different in group × time interactions, in favor of BMS group., Conclusions: Psychotherapy likely provides improvements in psychobiological stress responses and decreases the occurrence of suicidal ideation in patients with AD., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

All-trans retionic acid (ATRA) treatment confers disease remission in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients by inducing granulocytic differentiation, which is followed by cell apoptosis. Although glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β is known to be required for spontaneous cell death in neutrophils, the requirement of GSK-3β activation for the apoptotic effects remains unknown. This question is addressed in the present study using a model of ATRA-induced granulocytic differentiation and apoptosis in APL HL60 cells. ATRA at a therapeutic concentration (1 μM) induced granulocytic differentiation, followed by apoptosis. ATRA treatment caused decreased Mcl-1, caspase-3 activation, and PARP cleavage following the inactivation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT and the activation of GSK-3β. Pharmacologically and genetically inhibiting GSK-3β effectively retarded ATRA-induced Mcl-1 degradation and apoptosis. Additional differentiation inducers, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and dimethyl sulfoxide, also triggered GSK-3β-dependent apoptosis. Mechanistically, ATRA caused the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through increased expression of NADPH oxidase subunits (p47(phox) and p67(phox)) to facilitate ATRA-induced GSK-3β activation and cell apoptosis. This study indicates that ROS initiate GSK-3β-dependent apoptosis in granulocyte-differentiated cells after long-term ATRA treatment., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) and its connected circuitry have been heavily implicated in emotional functioning in adolescent-onset major depressive disorder (MDD). While several recent studies have examined sgACC functional connectivity (FC) in depressed youth at rest, no studies to date have investigated sgACC FC in adolescent depression during negative emotional processing., Methods: Nineteen medication-naïve adolescents with MDD and 19 matched healthy controls (HCL) performed an implicit fear facial affect recognition task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We defined seeds in bilateral sgACC and assessed FC using the psychophysiological interaction method. We also applied cognitive behavioral modeling to estimate group differences in perceptual sensitivity in this task. Finally, we correlated connectivity strength with clinical data and perceptual sensitivity., Results: Depressed adolescents showed increased sgACC-amygdala FC and decreased sgACC-fusiform gyrus, sgACC-precuneus, sgACC-insula, and sgACC-middle frontal gyrus FC compared to HCL (p<0.05, corrected). Among the MDD, sgACC-precuneus FC negatively correlated with depression severity (p<0.05, corrected). Lastly, MDD adolescents exhibited poorer perceptual sensitivity in the task than HCL, and individual differences in perceptual sensitivity significantly correlated with sgACC FC and depression scores (p<0.05, corrected)., Limitations: Subjects were clinically homogenous, possibly limiting generalizability of the findings., Conclusions: Adolescent depression is associated with biased processing of negative stimuli that may be driven by sgACC dysregulation and may possibly lead to an imbalance among intrinsic functional brain networks. This work also establishes the use of combining neuroimaging and cognitive behavioral modeling methods to investigate cognitive and neural differences between psychiatric and healthy populations., (© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common primary malignancy of bone. Molecular mechanism underlying OSA remains to be fully elucidated. It is critical to identify reliable diagnostic and prognostic markers for OSA at the molecular levels. This study is designed to investigate possible molecular mechanisms behind OSA development and to identify novel prognostic markers related to OSA survival. We conduct a comprehensive proteomic profiling analysis of human OSA cell lines with differential metastatic potential. Through comprehensive combinatorial analyses of the proteomic data and the previously obtained cDNA microarray results, we identify 37 candidate proteins which are differentially expressed in OSA sublines. Among them, ALDOA and SULT1A3 are selected for further investigation. The expressions of protein are confirmed by Western blotting analysis. We further analyze the expression levels of ALDOA and SULT1A3 from 40 clinical cases of OSA. The results demonstrate that the expression of ALDOA and/or SULT1A3 is significantly higher in patients with worse survival time than patients with better survival time. Five-year survival analysis shows there is a statistically significant difference between two patient populations. The data strongly suggest that ALDOA and/or SULT1A3 expression level in biopsy samples may predict the clinical outcomes of OSA patients. Furthermore, the biological functions of ALDOA and SULT1A3 may be implicated in OSA development and/or progression., (© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

ICAM-1 can be induced by inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and TNF-α. This study investigated whether autophagy regulates ICAM-1 given that autophagy facilitates signaling of these two cytokines. Exogenous IFN-γ induced ICAM-1 in human lung epithelial A549 cells carrying wild type p53, a transcription factor reported for ICAM-1, but not in PC14PE6/AS2 (AS2) cells carrying mutated p53. However, IFN-γ also induced ICAM-1 in A549 cells with short hairpin RNA-silenced p53. No changes in IFN-γ receptor expression were observed in AS2 cells, but IFN-γ-activated Jak2/STAT1/IFN regulatory factor 1 was markedly decreased. In AS2 cells, increased levels of reactive oxygen species induced the activation of Src homology domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2), while SHP2 was essential for IFN-γ resistance. AS2 cells showed autophagy resistance, and the manipulation of the autophagy pathway altered IFN-γ resistance. Aberrant Bcl-2 expression and mammalian target of rapamycin activation contributed to both autophagy resistance and IFN-γ resistance. Autophagy, but not p53, also modulated TNF-α-induced NF-κB activation and ICAM-1 expression. Inhibiting autophagy decreased the adhesion of human monocytic U937 cells to IFN-γ-treated A549 cells. These results demonstrated that IFN-γ and TNF-α induced ICAM-1 expression through a common pathway that was regulated by autophagy, but not p53.

This work is the first demonstration of a simple thiol-ene click chemistry to anchor vinyl imidazolium β-CD onto thiol silica to form a novel cationic native cyclodextrin (CD) chiral stationary phase (CSP). The CSP afforded high enantioseparation ability towards dansyl (Dns) amino acids, carboxylic aryl compounds and flavonoids in chiral HPLC. The current CSP demonstrates the highest resolving ability (selectivity >1.1, resolution >1.5) towards Dns amino acids in a mobile phase buffered at pH=6.5, with the resolution of Dns-dl-leucine as high as 6.97. 2,4-dichloride propionic acid (2,4-ClPOPA) was well resolved with the selectivity and resolution of 1.37 and 4.88, respectively. Compared to a previously reported native CD-CSP based on a triazole linkage, the current cationic CD-CSP shows a stronger retention and higher resolution towards acidic chiral compounds, ascribed to the propitious strong electrostatic attraction. Stability evaluation results indicated that thiol-ene reaction can provide a facile and robust approach for the preparation of positively charged CD CSPs., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: CD137 ligand (CD137L) is expressed by various immune cells and exists in membrane-bound and soluble forms. Recently, CD137L was found to be localized to macrophages in human atherosclerotic lesions and CD137L levels were much higher in atherosclerotic lesions than in normal arteries. However, the role of CD137L with different forms in atherothrombotic stroke remains unclear., Patients and Methods: The soluble CD137L (sCD137L) protein and CD137L expression on monocytes were analyzed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry in peripheral blood of patients with acute ischemic atherosclerotic stroke, atherosclerosis controls and normal controls., Results: During the initial 24h after onset, the stroke patients had elevated plasma sCD137L levels (133.2 pg/ml) and CD137L expression on monocytes [7.9 ± 4.1%, 7.0 ± 4.0 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI)] as compared with normal controls (75 pg/ml, p < 0.05; 4.6 ± 2.4%, 4.1 ± 2.7 MFI, p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The dysregulation of CD137L expression may reflect a persistent chronic inflammatory response that may have been induced during early stages of the disease. Our results strongly suggest that the abnormal expression of CD137L on monocytes may lead to dyregulated CD137L/CD137 signaling and consequently form part of a positive-feedback, inflammation-promoting circuit in stroke, while the elevated sCD137L protein levels may function as a self-regulatory mechanism of CD137/CD137L interaction and costimulation.

Aims: TIPE2 is a novel inflammation regulator, and the role of TIPE2 in colitis-induced colon cancer is not clear. The aim of this study was to test whether TIPE2 inhibits TLR4 pathway in colon cancer patients and to explore potential mechanism of TIPE2 in colon cancer by caspase-8., Methods: Expression of TIPE2 and TLR4 in human colon cancer tissues and cell line HT-29 was detected by immunohistochemistry or real-time PCR. TIPE2 mRNA was suppressed by siRNA transfection and the transfection efficiency was proved by fluorescence microscopy and real-time PCR. TLR4 pathway was activated by treating the cells with 1 μg/ml LPS for 4 h. Caspase-8 activities were tested by colorimetric assay in four HT-29 cell groups., Results: TIPE2 was expressed in the cytoplasm of colon cancer tissues and HT-29 cells. TIPE2 expression was more pronounced in colon cancer tissues compared to normal controls and it was related with lymph node metastasis and Dukes stage of colon cancer. TIPE2 expression was positively correlated with that of TLR4 in colon cancer (r=0.7354). TIPE2 expression was knocked down successfully by siRNA transfection. Caspase-8 activity was elevated both in TIPE2 knockdown cells and in TLR4 activated cells compared to wild-type cells (P< 0.05). And the caspase-8 activity was further increased in TIPE2 knockdown cells after TLR4 was activated (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: TIPE2 can inhibit caspase-8 activity in colon cancer cells. TIPE2 can regulate TLR4 inflammatory effect and inhibit further amplification of cascade reaction via caspase-8, which provides one new therapeutic target for clinical treatment schedule.

Background: The diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD), according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , is based only on adult symptomatology of depression and not adapted for age and gender. This may contribute to the low diagnostic specificity and validity of adolescent MDD. In this study, we investigated whether latent classes based on symptoms associated with depressed mood could be identified in a sample of adolescents seeking psychiatric care, regardless of traditionally defined diagnostic categories., Methods: Self-reports of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Development and Well-Being Assessment were collected consecutively from all new patients between the ages of 13 and 17 years at two psychiatric outpatient clinics in Stockholm, Sweden. Those who reported depressed mood at intake yielded a sample of 21 boys and 156 girls. Latent class analyses were performed for all screening items and for the depression-specific items of the Development and Well-Being Assessment., Results: The symptoms that were reported in association with depressed mood differentiated the adolescents into two classes. One class had moderate emotional severity scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and mainly symptoms that were congruent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for MDD. The other class had higher emotional severity scores and similar symptoms to those reported in the first class. However, in addition, this group demonstrated more diverse symptomatology, including vegetative symptoms, suicidal ideation, anxiety, conduct problems, body dysmorphic symptoms, and deliberate vomiting. The classes predicted functional impairment in that the members of the second class showed more functional impairment., Limitations: The relatively small sample size limited the generalizability of the results of this study, and the amount of items included in the analysis was restricted by the rules of latent class analysis. No conclusions about gender differences between the classes could be could be drawn as a result of the low number of boys included in the study., Conclusions: Two distinct classes were identified among adolescents with depressed mood. The class with highest emotional symptom severity score and the most functional impairment had a more diverse symptomatology that included symptoms that were not congruent with the traditional diagnostic criteria of MDD. However, this additional symptomatology is clinically important to consider. As a result, the clinical usefulness of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders during the diagnostic process of adolescent depression is questioned.

Conducting AFM reveals a continuous conduction network of a TiO2 -graphene composite in DSSC due to a more intimate contact between the smaller sized TiO2 -graphene composite nanosheets,which reduces the internal resistance at TiO2 /TiO2 and TiO2 /FTO interfaces and ultimately leads to a faster and more efficient electron transport in the photoanode., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: Very few studies have been performed to understand the underlying neural substrates of adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD). Studies in depressed adults have demonstrated that the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) plays a pivotal role in depression and have revealed aberrant patterns of resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC). Here, we examine the RSFC of the sgACC in medication-naïve first-episode adolescents with MDD., Methods: Twenty-three adolescents with MDD and 36 well-matched control subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the RSFC of the sgACC., Results: We observed elevated connectivity between the sgACC and the insula and between the sgACC and the amygdala in the MDD group compared with the control subjects. Decreased connectivity between the sgACC and the precuneus was also found in the MDD group relative to the control subjects. Within the MDD group, higher levels of depression significantly correlated with decreased connectivity between the sgACC and left precuneus. Increased rumination was significantly associated with reduced connectivity between sgACC and the middle and inferior frontal gyri in the MDD group., Conclusions: Our study is the first to examine sgACC connectivity in medication-naïve first-episode adolescents with MDD compared with well-matched control participants. Our results suggest aberrant functional connectivity among the brain networks responsible for salience attribution, executive control, and the resting-state in the MDD group compared with the control participants. Our findings raise the possibility that therapeutic interventions that can restore the functional connectivity among these networks to that typical of healthy adolescents might be a fruitful avenue for future research., (Copyright © 2013 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Response inhibition abnormalities contribute to several maladaptive behaviors commonly observed during adolescence, including heavy drinking., Objectives: The present study aimed to determine whether abnormalities in brain response during response inhibition predate or follow adolescents' transition into heavy drinking, which is pivotal in identifying the neural antecedents and consequences of adolescent alcohol use., Methods: Longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquired during a response inhibition task was collected on adolescents before the onset of heavy drinking and then again on the same scanner approximately 3 years later. Adolescents who transitioned into heavy drinking (n = 20) were matched to continuously nondrinking adolescents (n = 20) on baseline and follow-up demographic and developmental variables., Results: During no-go relative to go trials, participants showed responses common to inhibitory circuitry: frontal (e.g., pre-supplementary motor area), temporal, and parietal regions. A repeated measures analysis of covariance revealed that adolescents who later transitioned into heavy drinking showed less fMRI response contrast at baseline than continuous nondrinkers in frontal, parietal, subcortical, and cerebellar regions (p < 0.01, clusters >756 μl), then increased activation after the onset of heavy drinking in frontal, parietal, and cerebellar areas., Conclusions: Future heavy drinkers showed less activation of inhibitory circuitry before the onset of heavy drinking. After transitioning into heavy drinking, they showed more activation during response inhibition than nondrinking controls. These results contribute to the growing literature suggesting that neural vulnerabilities exist prior to the onset of substance use, and the initiation of heavy drinking may lead to additional alterations in brain functioning.

Objective: To investigate characteristics of the whole-genome of influenza A H1N1 virus circulated in Qingdao from year 2009 to 2011., Methods: RNA of 35 influenza A H1N1 virus isolates circulated in Qingdao between year 2009 and 2011 was extracted and all segments were amplified by RT-PCR. The sequence was then detected and assembled by software Sequencher.25 HA full-length sequences published on GenBank were selected as reference. While MEGA 5.0 software package was explored for phylogenetic analysis to characterize the molecular feature with reference to the whole-genome sequence and the hemagglutinin (HA).1068 HA sequences of influenza A H1N1 virus isolated worldwide from August 2010 to March 2011 were downloaded for amino acid mutation analysis., Results: On the HA genes phylogenetic tree, the virus were separately divided into 4 clades in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 surveillance season, each with a preponderant epidemic clade. The homogeneity of nucleotide and amino acids of HA isolates were 99.6%-99.9% and 99.1%-99.8% respectively in 2009-2010 surveillance season; 99.1%-99.6% and 98.2%-99.1% respectively in 2010-2011 surveillance season. The homogeneity of nucleotide and amino acids of the preponderant isolates were separately 98.8%-99.8% and 98.0%-99.6%. Compared with the vaccine strain, there were separately 14 and 12 variant amino acids of virus HA in the two surveillance season, involving 10 antigen sites and 5 positive selected sites. The sequence analysis of neuraminidase protein showed that the positions 247, 274 presented serine and histidine(S247, H274) respectively. The sequence analysis of M2 protein showed that the isolated A H1N1 viruses presented asparagine in amino acid site 31 (N31)., Conclusion: All the A H1N1 influenza virus circulated in Qingdao from year 2009 to 2011 presented continual variation and therefore caused antigenic drift. All the isolations were adamantane-resistance, but susceptible to inhibitors of neuraminidase.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-plasma membrane (PM) junctions are highly conserved subcellular structures. Despite their importance in Ca(2+) signaling and lipid trafficking, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation and functions of ER-PM junctions remain unclear. By developing a genetically encoded marker that selectively monitors ER-PM junctions, we found that the connection between ER and PM was dynamically regulated by Ca(2+) signaling. Elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+) triggered translocation of E-Syt1 to ER-PM junctions to enhance ER-to-PM connection. This subsequently facilitated the recruitment of Nir2, a phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PITP), to ER-PM junctions following receptor stimulation. Nir2 promoted the replenishment of PM phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) after receptor-induced hydrolysis via its PITP activity. Disruption of the enhanced ER-to-PM connection resulted in reduced PM PIP2 replenishment and defective Ca(2+) signaling. Altogether, our results suggest a feedback mechanism that replenishes PM PIP2 during receptor-induced Ca(2+) signaling via the Ca(2+) effector E-Syt1 and the PITP Nir2 at ER-PM junctions., (Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A positive family history (FHP) of alcohol use disorders (AUD) is linked to increased risk for personal AUD, but the mechanisms behind this risk are unclear. Previous research suggests that a subtle neurodevelopmental lag in FHP adolescents may contribute to risk for future AUD., Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response to a spatial working memory (SWM) task was examined for markers of neuromaturational delay in 85 youth with and without FHP. It was hypothesized that FHP adolescents (n = 24, ages 12-14 years), as compared to matched FHN youth (n = 26, ages 12-14 years), would show less similarity to brain connectivity observed in older adolescents (n = 35, ages 16-20 years) and that statistical comparison of SWM functional connectivity models would differentiate FHN and FHP youth. Structural equation modeling tested the fit of brain response connectivity between FH groups and against the older-adolescent model., Results: Patterns of connectivity were more similar between older adolescent and FHN than FHP adolescents; FHP youth demonstrated higher association between right posterior and left frontal brain regions than FHN and older adolescent youth. Comparison of FH groups indicated a significant difference on the pathway from the right superior parietal lobule to the left middle frontal gyrus., Conclusions: These findings provide additional support for the notion of a neuromaturational lag in FHP youth. Protracted neuromaturation may be a mechanism by which FH increases risk for alcohol dependence, and this less mature neural connectivity pattern may provide a novel endophenotype for identifying youth at risk for drinking problems.

Au/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals with controllable shell thicknesses were synthesized using a cysteine-assisted hydrothermal method. Incorporating Au/ZnS nanocrystals into the traditional Pt-catalyzed half-cell reaction led to a 43.3% increase in methanol oxidation current under light illumination, demonstrating their promising potential for metal/semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals as the anode photocatalyst in direct methanol fuel cells.

A novel and selective method of simple copper-salt catalyzed phosphonation of α-amino carbonyl compounds to afford imidoylphosphonates is reported. This reaction system has a broad reaction scope. The convenient and environmentally benign process makes this protocol very attractive.

Chemokines and chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) play an important role in metastasis. CXCR4 is also expressed in the human osteosarcoma cell line 9607-F5M2 (F5M2), which has a high tumorigenic ability and potential for spontaneous pulmonary metastasis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) contribute to the formation of the tumor stroma and promote metastasis. However, mechanisms underlying the promotion of osteosarcoma growth and pulmonary metastasis by MSCs are still elusive. Our study co-injected the human MSCs and F5M2 cells into the caudal vein of nude mice. The total number of tumor nodules per lung was significantly increased in the F5M2+MSC group compared to the other groups (control, F5M2 cells alone and MSCs alone) at week six. Moreover, a high number of Dil-labeled MSCs was present also at the osteosarcoma metastasis sites in the lung. Using Transwell assays, we found that F5M2 cells migrate towards MSCs, while the CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3100 decreased the migration potential of F5M2 cells towards MSCs. Furthermore, upon treatment with F5M2-conditioned medium, MSCs expressed and secreted higher levels of VEGF as determined by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and ELISA, respectively. Importantly, co-cultured with F5M2 cells, MSCs expressed and secreted higher VEGF levels, while AMD3100 dramatically decreased the VEGF secretion by MSCs. However, CXCR4 expression on F5M2 cells was not significantly increased in the co-culture system. Additionally, VEGF increased the proliferation of both MSCs and F5M2 cells. These findings suggest that CXCR4-mediated osteosarcoma growth and pulmonary metastasis are promoted by MSCs through VEGF.