Search

Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound derived from the plant turmeric and the structural instability of which limits its further clinical applications. In this study, 11 curcumin analogs with more stable scaffold were prepared and evaluated. The results indicated that the optimal compound Y-11 exhibited the strongest antiproliferative activities against lung cancer cells including H460 and H1650. Further studies showed that Y-11 potentially inhibited hDHODH, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis as well as down-regulated crucial signal pathway protein expression in H1650 cells. In the conclusion, the newly designed curcumin analog Y-11 may be suitable for further development in lung cancer treatment.

Background:Stroke is a major cause of functional disability, which is in turn correlated with poor oral health.There is a dearth of studies that have investigated self-reported oral health, a measure of how individuals perceive their oral health and unmet treatment needs, in elders after stroke. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare self-perceived oral problems and oral care behaviors between stroke survivors with and without functional disability.Methods:Two-hundred and seven stroke survivors were recruited,comprised of 104 participants without functional disability, and 103 with functional disability, based on the modified Rankin Scale. Interviews were conducted to collect data regarding self-perceived oral problems, oral care behaviors, and dental attendance behaviors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to compare the data between the two groups.Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, the functional disability group was significantly less likely to brush their teeth twice a day (odds ratio [OR], 0.388;95%confidence interval [CI], 0.200-0.751), and both more likely to have a change in teeth cleaning after stroke (OR, 0.155; 95%CI,0.030-0.804), and to need help when cleaning their teeth (OR, 2.701; 95%CI,1.018-7.163). There were no significant differences in self-perceived oral problems or dental attendance behaviors between the two groups.Conclusion: Stroke survivors with functional disability had worse oral care behaviors compared with those without functional disability.

Sphingosine kinase functions to phosphorylate sphingosine to sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) to keep balance in the metabolites of sphingolipids. There are two isoforms of sphingosine kinase, sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) and sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2). Although SphK1 and SphK2 share high sequence similarity, SphK2 has distinct distribution, regulation and function. SphK2 is involved in the pathological processes of varieties of diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, stroke, cardiovascular diseases and inflammation. SphK2 may promote the proliferation of cancer cells and the progression of inflammation. The SphK2/S1P pathway is also involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders and stroke. S1P produced by SphK2 in the nucleus binds to HDACs, which then inhibits histone acetylation and regulates memory. The SphK2 pathway mediates platelet aggregation, thrombosis, cardioprotection and helps to ameliorate hepatic steatosis. This review focuses on the recent advances in research on SphK2 regulation and its potential roles in diseases, highlighting SphK2 may be a novel therapeutic strategy for diseases.

The purpose of this study is to obtain normative values of the masseter muscle of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and healthy volunteers by single-fiber electromyography (SFEMG). Stimulation of SFEMG in the masseter muscle was studied in 15 healthy volunteers (men 8, women 7; mean age 40.2, range 21-77) and 30 patients affected by MG (men 16, women 14; mean age 42.8, range 12-75). The mean consecutive difference (MCD) of the individual fiber and the mean MCD per study were determined in the normal group. We recommend the upper normal limit for the individual fibers of jitter and the mean MCD per study in the healthy Chinese adults of 33 µs and 22 µs respectively. Furthermore, in the MG group, the percentage of jitter > upper normal limit jitter and the impulse blocking percentage were detected, which were all significantly different compared to the normal control group (P < 0.01). The overall sensitivity was 90%, with the abnormality in 6 of the 9 ocular MG patients and 100% abnormality in the generalized MG patients. The masseter muscle SFEMG has a high degree of sensitivity. The masseter should be considered for SFEMG in the diagnosis of MG, and added routinely to the tested muscles.

High performance pentacene organic thin film transistors (OTFT) were designed and fabricated using SiO2 deposited by electron beam evaporation as gate dielectric material. Pentacene thin films were prepared on glass substrate with S–D electrode pattern made from ITO by means of thermal evaporation through self-organized process. The threshold voltage VTH was −2.75±0.1V in 0 – −50V range, and that subthreshold slopes were 0.42±0.05V/dec. The field-effect mobility (μEF) of OTFT device increased with the increase of VDS, but the μEF of OTFT device increased and then decreased with increased VGS when VDS was kept constant. When VDS was −50V, on/off current ratio was 0.48 × 105 and subthreshold slope was 0.44V/dec. The μEF was 1.10cm2/(V-s), threshold voltage was −2.71V for the OTFT device.