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Background: Taenia pisiformis is one of the most common intestinal parasites in canines, and leads to serious economic losses in the rabbit breeding industry. Exosome-like vesicles from parasites play crucial roles in host-parasite interactions by transferring cargo from parasites to host cells and by modulating host immunological response through inducing production of host-derived cytokines. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which exosome-like vesicles from T. pisiformis cysticercus regulate the macrophage immune response remains unknown. Methods: Using ultracentrifugation, we isolated exosome-like vesicles from excretory/secretory products (ESP) of T. pisiformis cysticercus. The morphology and size of purified vesicles were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). The components of proteins and miRNAs within these vesicles were identified by proteomic analysis and high-throughput small RNA sequencing. The biological function of targets of exosomal miRNAs was predicted by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Moreover, the expression of Th1- and Th2-type immune response associated cytokines in RAW264.7 macrophages were evaluated by qPCR and ELISA. We found that exosome-like vesicles were typical cup-shaped vesicles with diameters from 30 to 150 nm. A total of 87 proteins were identified by proteomic analysis, including proteins prominently associated with exosome-like vesicles biogenesis and vesicle trafficking. 41 known miRNAs and 18 novel miRNAs were identified in the exosome-like vesicles. Eleven selected miRNAs, including 7 known miRNAs (miR-71-5p, miR-10a-5p, miR-let-7-5p, miR-745-3p, miR-219-5p, miR-124-3p and miR-4989-3p) and 4 novel miRNAs (novel-mir-3, novel-mir-7, novel-mir-8 and novel-mir-11) were validated to exist in metacestiodes and exosome-like vesicles of T. pisiformis cysticercus by qPCR. The functions of most targets of exosomal miRNAs were mainly associated with signal transduction and the immune system. Additionally, T. pisiformis cysticercus-derived vesicles induced the production of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13 and Arg-1, but downregulated the expression of IL-12, IFN-γ and iNOS in RAW264.7 macrophages. Conclusions: We demonstrated that proteins and miRNAs enclosed within exosome-like vesicles from T. pisiformis cysticercus have immunomodulatory functions. Furthermore, exosome-like vesicles were shown to induce the macrophage Th2-type immune response in vitro. Our study suggests that exosome-like vesicles play an important role in the interaction between cysticerci and their hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the problem of positive filtering is investigated for positive two‐dimensional (2D) Roesser T–S fuzzy systems under ℓ1 ‐induced performance. Error‐bounding positive filters are constructed to estimate the output of positive 2D T–S fuzzy systems. Firstly, a novel characterisation for asymptotic stability of the filtering error system with ℓ1 ‐induced performance is derived. Then, based on that characterisation, sufficient conditions are derived to design the required filters expressed by linear programming problems. Finally, the theoretical results are illustrated through a numerical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, thermochemical biomass intermittent gasification was performed in a fluidized-bed reactor with pure steam as gasification agent. A single fluidized bed two-stage gasification process, also known as intermittent gasification process, which involves the time segregated hybridization of coal-combustion and steam biomass-gasification stages in the same vessel, was employed. This research aims to explore the influences of gasification temperature (T) and steam-biomass ratio (S/B) on composition, energy and exergy distribution, as well as energy and exergy conversion efficiencies of the product gas (biomass-gas). Over the ranges of the test conditions used, the total concentration of H2 and CO in the biomass-gas varies between 57.9% and 80.8%, and the exergy and energy efficiencies of the biomass-gas are in the ranges of 54.61%-35.52% and 82.91%-60.78%, respectively. The results show that the chemical exergy values of the biomass-gas are 13.50 to 17.71 times as the corresponding physical exergy values, whereas the chemical energy values are 6.91 to 9.45 times as the corresponding physical energy values. The total energy values of the biomass-gas are higher than the corresponding exergy values, this result in higher energy efficiencies of the biomass-gas. Higher temperature contributes to higher CO and H2 content, physical and chemical energy values, physical and chemical exergy values, as well as energy and exergy efficiencies of the biomass-gas. The steam to biomass ratio is optimal in the intermediate levels for maximal energy and exergy efficiencies of the biomass-gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Biomass waste porous starch was utilized to fabricate hierarchical porous carbon. [•] The nanocarbon contains inherent macropores and KOH-creating meso- and micropores. [•] The capacitance could be maintained at 197Fg−1 even at 180Ag−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When caring for an older relative with dementia, family members experience considerable distress and burden. Literature reviews show that supportive group interventions for these caregivers have significant positive effects on improving their distress and quality of life, but not consistent and conclusive. Limited research is found in Asian populations. This study tested the effectiveness of a 12-session bi-weekly mutual support group program for Chinese family caregivers of a relative with dementia in Hong Kong, when compared with standard family support service. An experimental study with pre- and post-test, parallel groups design was conducted. A randomized sample of 78 family caregivers, 39 in each of the experimental and control groups, from one regional dementia care center participated in the study. A protocol was specifically designed by an advanced practice nurse to guide the mutual support group process and the facilitator and peer leader training, based on evidence from the literature on family support group intervention in Western countries. The results of ANOVA tests indicated that the mutual support group participants had significantly greater improvements in distress levels and quality of life than the control group. There were only mild changes in the demands for mental health services in both groups at post-test. These findings support the effectiveness of mutual support groups to offer psychosocial support to Chinese family caregivers in dementia care beyond routine community mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When caring for an older relative with dementia, family members experience considerable distress and burden. Literature reviews show that supportive group interventions for these caregivers have significant positive effects on improving their distress and quality of life, but not consistent and conclusive. Limited research is found in Asian populations. This study tested the effectiveness of a 12-session bi-weekly mutual support group program for Chinese family caregivers of a relative with dementia in Hong Kong, when compared with standard family support service. An experimental study with pre- and post-test, parallel groups design was conducted. A randomized sample of 78 family caregivers, 39 in each of the experimental and control groups, from one regional dementia care center participated in the study. A protocol was specifically designed by an advanced practice nurse to guide the mutual support group process and the facilitator and peer leader training, based on evidence from the literature on family support group intervention in Western countries. The results of ANOVA tests indicated that the mutual support group participants had significantly greater improvements in distress levels and quality of life than the control group. There were only mild changes in the demands for mental health services in both groups at post-test. These findings support the effectiveness of mutual support groups to offer psychosocial support to Chinese family caregivers in dementia care beyond routine community mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A model comprises two sub-models, i.e. combustion and gasification models, is developed to simulate a single fluidized bed two-step gasification process and to predict H2 production under different conditions. The combustion sub-model which consists of volatile precipitation and char combustion sub-models. The combustion sub-model is used to forecast residual char. The gasification sub-model, based on the mass and energy balance, is used to examine thermodynamically the effect on the hydrogen production of calcium oxide as the catalyst. Moreover, the effects of the operational conditions on the hydrogen production such as biomass/coal (mass ratio), temperature, steam/coke, and calcium/coke, are simulated. The results indicate that the addition of calcium oxide at certain conditions can significantly improve hydrogen production and lower the required temperature for gasification. The model predicts that the maximum hydrogen production of 60% can be achieved under the conditions of temperature in the range of 800–850 °C, calcium/coke, steam/coke, and coal/biomass (mass ratio) are 0.5, 1.8, and 1/4, respectively. The model predictions are in good agreement with the experimental data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the results of a study on the role of a family-led mutual support program (FMSP) in enhancing the quality of life of caregivers of patients with dementia in Hong Kong, China. According to the authors, FMSP helps alleviate the psychological distress suffered by caregivers, delay the deterioration of the patients' illness after completing the intervention, and enhance caregivers' quality of life. They indicate that FMSP can lower the rate of institutionalization of patients.

dhesion ability of bifidobacteria to the intestinal mucosa is considered to be the prerequisite for colonization of bifidobacteria and can protect against gastrointestinal pathogens infection. The aim of this study was to investigate bifidobacterial surface traits related to adhesion ability in vitro and characterize the cell surface substances that may be involved in the adhesion process of bifidobacteria. Twelve strains of Bifidobacterium spp. were studied for the correlation among their adhesion ability, autoaggregation ability and surface hydrophobicity. The strain that exhibited good adhesion ability also showed high degree of hydrophobicity and strong autoaggregation ability. Pepsin treatment had negative effect on the surface traits and adhesion ability of B. bifidum KLDS2.0603 ( P < 0.01), it revealed that hydrophobicity, autoaggregation and adhesion process maybe mediated by proteinaceous components on the surface of cell. Moreover, the adhesion and autoaggregation ability decreased after extraction of B. bifidum KLDS2.0603 with 5 mol l LiCl, and an unreported 50-kDa surface protein which can bind to Caco-2 cell was observed by western blotting. Our results indicated that surface hydrophobicity and autoaggregation ability can be used together for preliminary screening the strains with high adhesion ability, and the present of the surface proteinaceous components would contribute to understand the interactions between bifidobacteria and human intestinal mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Biofeedback is an acquisition technique of self-regulation ability of an autonomic function, of which we are normally unaware, through a series of training aided by an additional outer feedback pathway. We proposed a mathematical model of biofeedback in which a learning system on the conscious level learns characteristics of a subconscious regulation system corresponding to the biological function. When the learning converges, the learning system itself becomes an inverse system of the regulation system. Then, if a regulation command is put to the learning system on the conscious level, it drives the regulation system strictly following the command without the outer feedback pathway, which enables voluntary control of the biological function. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Copolymers of starch grafted with poly (lactic acid) were directly prepared by in situ reaction of cornstarch with lactic acid in aqueous media in the presence of stannous 2-ethyl hexanoate [Sn(Oct)2]. The procedure of the graft reaction was elucidated, based on the HPLC analysis, as the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) from starch surface of the small amounts of lactide produced in situ in the reaction system. The detailed chemical microstructure of the resultant graft copolymer was clarified by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. Analysis of 13C NMR spectra of the carbons in starch ring as well as the carbonyl carbons in LA moiety demonstrates that the reactivity of hydroxyl groups at glucopyranan unit of starch decreases in the order of C-6>C-3>C-2. The average length of PLA grafts at individual starch ring carbons was also investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We used 1.5-T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore which brain areas contribute uniquely to numeric computation. The BOLD effect activation pattern of a mental arithmetic task (successive subtraction: an actual calculation task) was compared with a multiplication table repetition task (rote verbal arithmetic memory task) response. The activation found in the right parietal lobule during mental arithmetic task suggested that quantitative cognition or numeric computation may need the assistance of sensory convert, such as spatial imagination and spatial sensory convert. In addition, this mechanism may be an “analog algorithm” in the simple mental arithmetic processing. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 153(2): 39–44, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20204 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An open question lies in whether or not distributed activities in the distant brain regions are integrated into a coherent ensemble for cognitive information processing. Long-range phase synchronization is often observed by scalp EEG measurements during cognitive tasks and is considered to provide a possible neural principle for the functional integration of distributed neural activities. Synchronization could be reflected at the neuron firing level or at the local field potential and could appear in the scalp EEG under certain conditions on neural spatial and temporal coherence. To examine if phase synchronization is concerned with the integration of distant regions, we proposed a method to extract brain activities associated with task-dependent phase synchronization by combining simultaneous fMRI and EEG. By applying this method in a mental arithmetic task, we found a dominant task-dependent increase of phase synchronization around 14 Hz (in beta frequency) across bilateral parietal sites that were associated with both negative and positive BOLD responses. Functional connectivity analyses of these regions demonstrated that an increase in hemispheric beta synchronization was associated with a linking between the cross-hemispheric regions (left angular gyrus and right superior parietal gyrus) and also among the anterior–posterior regions (right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, putamen, and right superior temporal gyrus). These findings indicate that the positive BOLD regions (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and superior parietal lobule) are linked with other negative BOLD regions. We also discussed the possible importance of beta synchronization in the formation of a working memory network. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was grafted to dextran using ceric ion as redox initiator. The graft copolymers formed temperature responsive materials and can be used to construct polymeric micelles as drug carriers for colon-site specifically delivery. The chemical structure of the graft copolymers was characterized by FTIR, 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The influence of reaction conditions on the grafting parameters was investigated. It was found that the percentage of homopolymer formation (H%), the grafting efficiency (GE%) and the grafting (G%) of the copolymers increased with increasing the amount of the ceric catalyst used. Extension of the duration of graft reaction increased GE% and G% of the copolymers, suggesting that G% of the copolymers could be readily manipulated by changing copolymerization duration. Higher grafting temperature was in favor of increasing GE% and G%, however, when the reaction temperature was above the LCST of the copolymers, GE% and G% decreased. The optical transmittance of the copolymers in the aqueous solution was examined by UV–Vis instrument. The result showed that the phase transition of the graft copolymer in aqueous solution moved slightly to higher temperature when G% of the graft copolymers decreased. The results of atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering measurement indicated that the graft copolymers form micelles in a spherical morphology, and for the copolymer with the G% of 33.8% formed micelles in the mean diameter of less than 30 nm in aqueous solution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Green needle coke was oxidized by a mixture of HNO 3 and H 2 SO 4 (3:7 vol/vol) acids. The resultant oxidized coke was separated into water dispersible and non-dispersible fractions, which were then activated by KOH using the same KOH/coke weight ratio to obtain two kinds of nanoporous carbons with different pore structures. The oxidized coke and the nanoporous carbons were characterized by XPS, XRD, TEM, N 2 adsorption and electrochemical tests. Results indicate that, at the same KOH/coke ratios, the nanoporous carbons derived from the water-dispersible oxidized coke have higher mass specific capacitances and capacitance retention ratios, and lower resistances than those from the non-dispersible ones when used as an electric double layer capacitor electrode in 6 M KOH, but the former have a lower volumetric specific capacitance than the latter. [New Carbon Materials 2015, 30(2): 141–149] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenomyosis is a common benign gynecological condition in female reproductive tract and the detailed molecular etiology remains largely elusive. Previous studies implicated that deregulated expression of DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A), a de novo DNA methyltransferase, might be involved in the pathogenesis of adenomyosis. Meanwhile, ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EESCs) were suggested to play crucial roles in adenomyosis. Herein, we evaluated the expression of DNMT3A protein in 36 ectopic endometriums with adenomyosis and 37 eutopic endometriums in controls with Western blotting (WB) or immunohistochemistry (IHC), we found that the expression of DNMT3A was significantly decreased in the ectopic endometriums and EESCs in adenomyosis relative to that of eutopic endometriums and EESCs in control samples, respectively. In addition, our functional assays revealed that overexpression of DNMT3A suppressed cell proliferation and invasion, while knockdown of DNMT3A enhanced cell proliferation and invasion in EESCs. Taken together, our results suggested that DNMT3A expression was decreased in ectopic endometriums and EESCs in adenomyosis, and we provided the first evidence that decreased DNMT3A expression in EESCs facilitated the development of adenomyosis via enhanced cell growth and invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and deadliest type of brain tumor with a > >th he most aggressive and deadliest type of brain tumor witnear-infrared fluorescent dye, but it is hard to directly target brain tumor. Therefore, our study aimed to develop a new carrier for ICG to accurately visualize cancer tissue during surgery. Exosomes were isolated from culture U-87 MG cells, then loaded with Indocyanine green (ICG) and conjugated with RGERPPR peptide (RGE) (R-exo-ICG). The parameters of R-exo-ICG were analyzed and injected into tumor-bearing nude mice to evaluate its anti-tumor effect. R-exo-ICGs were nano size, and completely released ICG within 24 h. RGE modification increased cell uptake of exosomes, and induced cell apoptosis through activating Caspase 3 signaling pathway after laser irradiation. Moreover, R-exo-ICG was largely accumulated in the brain tumor in vivo, and inhibited tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. RGE-conjugated exosomes that loaded ICG could target brain tumor in mice and significantly inhibited tumor growth in mice, which suggested that R-exo-ICG might serve as a novel approach for GBM treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several surveys have reported that patients treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol showed a significantly lower rate of implantation and clinical pregnancy compared to GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) protocol during in vitro fertilization-fresh embryo transfer. Subsequent studies imputed this poor outcome to the negative effects of GnRH-ant on endometrial receptive. However, the mechanisms were not fully understood. Methods: The clinical data of 2815 patients undergoing fresh embryo transfer in our center were analyzed. Human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) from healthy women undergoing elective pregnancy termination of a normal pregnancy at 8–10 weeks gestation were treated with GnRH-analogs or imatinib (c-kit receptor inhibitor). CCK8 and Flow cytometry were used to investigated the growth ability of ESCs. Immunofluorescence staining and western blot was used to detected the target proteins. Results: The clinical data showed that the endometrial thickness on HCG Day were significantly lower in GnRH-ant group. Although no difference of embryo quality in these two groups, GnRH-ant group showed remarkably decreased rate of HCG positive, embryo implantation and pregnancy. Moreover, GnRH-ant significantly reduced the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of ESCs. Furthermore, the expression and activation of c-kit receptor, which played pivotal roles during embryo implantation, were observably decreased by GnRH-ant. Inhibiting the activation of c-kit by imatinib remarkably suppressed the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of ESCs. Additionally, the phosphorylation of AKT and expression of Cyclin D1, which were closely related with cellular growth, were distinctly lessened after treating with imatinib. Conclusions: In summary, our study showed that GnRH-ant weakened the activization of c-kit receptor by decreasing its expression, causing the impaired growth ability of ESCs. Our findings provided a new insight into the effects of GnRH-ant on endometrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anamphiphilic carbonaceous material (called CP-A5) derived fromcoal tar pitch has been introduced to synthesize a hollow MnO2/CP-A5 hybrid on the meso- or microscale in a poly(ethyleneglycol) 400–water mixture using a self-template method. Inthe presence of CP-A5, the MnCO3precursors change fromcubes of approximately 450 nm to spheres of approximately 300 nm,and their basic building blocks vary from two-dimensional nanosheetsto nanoflakes. The derived two types of hollow MnO2preservethe morphologies of their own precursors well and inherit the basicbuilding blocks. The electrochemical data indicate that MnO2/CP-A5 hollow spheres exhibit not only higher specific capacitanceand lower resistance, including the intrinsic resistance of the electrode,Faradaic reaction resistance, and ion-diffusion/-transport resistance,but also better electrochemical stability than MnO2hollowcubes because of their reduced particle size, induced morphology,and modified electrode/electrolyte interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent studies have reported that moderate physical activity in daily life contributes to maintenance of a proper state of cognitive function in elderly individuals. The present study investigated the validity of correlations between moderate physical activity and cognitive function using more objective and detailed assessments of both physical activity and neurocognitive function. Participants comprised 72 healthy elderly individuals who wore an electronic accelerometer during waking hours for 3 months. This device recorded the number of steps per day as well as the duration of each intensity level in daily life; levels 1–3 were the equivalent of easy-paced walking (light activity), while levels 4–6 corresponded to brisk walking (moderate activity). To estimate executive cognitive ability in healthy elderly individuals, performance variability of executive control was examined with a task-switching reaction time (RT) test measuring intra-individual variability (IIV) in RTs. In 43 consenting participants, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the task-switching RT trial was analyzed to assess differences in brain activity patterns as a function of daily physical activity. Daily duration of level 4 physical activity correlated negatively with and significantly predicted IIV. Moreover, fMRI analysis confirmed that the higher physical activity group (duration of level 4 activity≥26.4min/day) showed significantly reduced age-related functional attenuation of prefrontal activations during the task-switching RT trial. The study discusses the possibility that enhancing the moderate daily physical activity could be helpful for lowering the rate of neurocognitive degradations in healthy elderly individuals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral childhood disorder in which parental care-giving is found very stressful. Limited qualitative research is found on their care-giving experiences. This study aimed to explore Chinese parents' experiences of care-giving to a child with ADHD at home. It was conducted at one Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit in Hong Kong using qualitative exploratory approach. A purposive sample of 12 parents was recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, each lasting about one hour. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. From the interview data, four themes were identified, including: concept of the illness, barriers to child care in ADHD, psychological effects in care-giving, and positive aspects of care-giving. The parents indicated a variety of life problems and health concerns in care-giving. The findings may help nurses understand the perceptions and barriers towards parental care of a child with ADHD in a Chinese population and consider parents' educational needs in care-giving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral childhood disorder in which parental care-giving is found very stressful. Limited qualitative research is found on their care-giving experiences. This study aimed to explore Chinese parents' experiences of care-giving to a child with ADHD at home. It was conducted at one Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit in Hong Kong using qualitative exploratory approach. A purposive sample of 12 parents was recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, each lasting about one hour. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. From the interview data, four themes were identified, including: concept of the illness, barriers to child care in ADHD, psychological effects in care-giving, and positive aspects of care-giving. The parents indicated a variety of life problems and health concerns in care-giving. The findings may help nurses understand the perceptions and barriers towards parental care of a child with ADHD in a Chinese population and consider parents' educational needs in care-giving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Currently available PDE2 inhibitors have poor brain penetration that limits their therapeutic utility in the treatment of depression. Hcyb1 is a novel selective PDE2 inhibitor that was introduced more lipophilic groups with polar functionality to the scaffold pyrazolopyrimidinone to improve the blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration. Our previous study suggested that Hcyb1 increased the neuronal cell viability and exhibited antidepressant-like effects, which were parallel to the currently available PDE2 inhibitor Bay 60-7550. Objectives: The present study investigated whether Hcyb1 protected HT-22 cells against corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity and produced antidepressant-like effects in behavioral tests in stressed mice. Methods: The neuroprotective effects of Hcyb1 against corticosterone-induced cell lesion were examined by cell viability (MTS) assay. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblot analysis were used to determine the levels of cAMP or cGMP and expression of pCREB or BDNF, respectively, in the corticosterone-treated HT-22 cells. The antidepressant-like effects of Hcyb1 were determined in the tail suspension and novelty suppressed feeding tests in stressed mice. Results: In the cell-based assay, Hcyb1 significantly increased cell viability of HT-22 cells against corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Hcyb1 also rescued corticosterone-induced decreases in both cGMP and cAMP levels, pCREB/CREB and BDNF expression. These protective effects of Hcyb1 were prevented by pretreatment with either the PKA inhibitor H89 or the PKG inhibitor KT5823. Moreover, Hcyb1 reversed acute stress–induced increases in immobility time and the latency to feed in the tail suspension and novelty suppressed feeding tests, respectively, which were prevented by pretreatment with H89 or KT5823. Conclusion: These findings provide evidence that the neuroprotective effects of Hcyb1 are mediated by PDE2-dependent cAMP/cGMP signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress (OS) has been proposed to play a role in the development of EMs. Peroxiredoxins are a family of antioxidant proteins that exhibit peroxidase activity in a thioredoxin-dependent manner, protecting cells against OS. The Western blotting results showed that the relative expression of PRDX4 was significantly increased in ectopic endometria compared with the normal endometria of EMs-free (p <.05). The H2O2 concentration was also significantly higher in the ectopic endometrium. PRDX4 siRNA was transfected into primary ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EESCs). The viability of the transfected EESCs was measured by CCK-8 assay, and the results showed significantly decreased cell viability. Furthermore, the apoptosis rate and ROS generation in flow cytometry assays were significantly increased after the knockdown of PRDX4 expression (p <.05). Scratch assays and transwell assays revealed that decreased expression of PRDX4 mediated by siRNA inhibited EESC migration and invasion. In conclusion, these findings indicate the potential role of PRDX4 in the development of EMs and PRDX4 as a possible therapeutic target for EMs treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giardia duodenalis is a zoonotic enteric parasite that can infect humans and a number of animal species including rabbits with a worldwide distribution. Infection with G. duodenalis can cause serious public health problems and significant economic losses to animal husbandry. So accurate understanding of the prevalence and genotype distribution of G. duodenalis in rabbits is necessary. In the present study, a total of 616 fecal samples were collected from rabbits in Shandong province, eastern China, and examined in G. duodenalis prevalence and genotypes by nested PCR amplification of β-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) gene loci of G. duodenalis. Sixty-nine (11.2%) of the examined rabbit fecal samples were G. duodenalis-positive. Of them, the prevalence of G. duodenalis is 8.4% (41/490) in Rizhao city and 22.2% (28/126) in Weihai city. Breeds, region, and feeding modes were highly correlated with G. duodenalis infection in rabbits. Moreover, three genotypes (assemblages A, B, and E) were identified in rabbits at three gene loci, and the assemblage E was the dominant genotype, while the assemblage A was reported in rabbits in China for the first time. It is noticeable that two rabbits were found to be infected with two different G. duodenalis assemblages (assemblages A and E, assemblages B and E, respectively). These findings enrich the genotype distribution of G. duodenalis in rabbits and provide baseline data for preventing and controlling G. duodenalis infection in rabbits in eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality among females; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms of its carcinogenesis remain largely unclear. Previous comprehensive genomic studies have revealed prevalent estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) mutations in breast cancer, which are rare in certain other types of cancer. To the best of our knowledge, it is unknown whether ESR1 mutations also exist in cervical cancer. Considering the evidence that cervical cancer shares certain genetic aberrations with breast cancer, and that the progression of both breast and cervical cancers can be affected by estrogen, it is possible that cervical cancer may also harbor ESR1 mutations. In the present study, a total of 260 Chinese cervical cancer samples with distinct subtypes were tested for the presence of ESR1 mutations. A total of three heterozygous missense ESR1 mutations, p.K303R (c.908A>G), p.T311M (c.932C>T) and p.Y537C (c.1610A>G), were identified in 3/207 (1.4%) cervical squamous cell carcinoma samples, which were absent in 27 adenosquamous carcinomas and 26 adenocarcinomas samples. Of the three individuals with an ESR1mutation, 1 patient was also diagnosed with ovarian endometriosis and the other 2 patients were diagnosed with a uterine fibroid. A bioinformatics analysis suggested that these ESR1 mutations may be pathogenic by promoting the development of cervical cancer. Furthermore, a previous comprehensive study confirmed that individuals with cervical squamous cell carcinoma possessed ESR1 mutations. These combined studies indicate that ESR1 mutations may participate in the carcinogenesis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma, albeit at a low frequency. In conclusion, the present study identified three potentially pathogenic ESR1 mutations in Chinese cervical squamous cell carcinoma samples, but not in other subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We identified two potential damaging ZP4 mutationsin three out of 152 (2.0%, 3/152) patients with ovarian endometriosis, for the first time. • Our results suggested that mutations in ZP4, but not ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3, might play positive roles inovarian endometriosis. • The potential role of ZP4 mutations on human fertility might be more complex than we thought, other factors might play certain roles. Abstract Endometriosis is characterized by the ectopic implant of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity and found in ˜35–50% of subfertile women. Previous studies have found that endometriosis had frequent defects in zona pellucida (ZP), and mutations in ZP genes could lead to ZP defects, raising the possibility that mutations in ZP genes might exist in endometriosis. We analyzed a total of 152 Han Chinese samples with ovarian endometriosis for the presence of mutations in the ZP1, ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4 genes. Two novel nonsynonymous ZP4 mutations were identified in three out of 152 (2.0%) samples: a p.M1?/(c.3 G > C) mutation in a 27- and 35-year-old sample, respectively, and a p.A433 V (c.1298C > T) mutation in a 31-year-old patient. No mutations were detected in ZP1, ZP2 or ZP3 genes; furthermore, no mutations in ZP genes were identified in 85 female control samples without endometriosis. The p.M1?/(c.3 G > C) mutation could lead to the usage of a downstream translation initiation site, while the evolutionary conservation and protein structural modeling analyses suggested that the p.A433 V mutation might be functionally important. However, there were strikingly different fertility outcomes among the three samples with ZP4 mutations: the p.A433V-mutated sample had no problem in fertility; while the p.M1?-mutated samples presented with paradoxical effects on fertility: the 35-year-old patient had a child while the 27-year-old patient was infertile, who underwent two spontaneous abortions and an implantation failure after IVF treatment. These results suggested that the potential role of ZP4 mutations on human fertility might be more complex than we thought, and other genetic and environment factors might play a role. In conclusion, we identified two novel mutations in the ZP4 gene in 2.0% of Han Chinese patients with ovarian endometriosis for the first time, our results suggested that mutations in ZP4, but not ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3, might play active roles in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometriosis, despite the mutation-carriers present with complex fertility outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of great significance to efficiently prepare core-shell nanoparticles. In this study, we directly and efficiently prepared core-shell structured PCL/PEG nanoparticles based on shell insertion strategy by using coaxial electrospray. The key points to ensure the success of this new strategy include: the preparation of PCL particles with size less than 100 nm which worked as core structure; the insertion of PEG into PCL surface which worked as shell structure. We directly fabricated PCL particles with size less than 100 nm by using shell evaporation coaxial electrospray method. It means that PCL nanoparticles could be prepared and used as core structure through coaxial electrospray method. PEG solution worked as shell layer, PCL solution worked as core layer, PCL/PEG core shell structured microparticles were obtained through coaxial electrospray technique. Because of the solvent diffusion during the coaxial electrospray process, PEG could insert into PCL when TFE was used as the solvent of both core and shell layer. Then, after removing uninserted PEG, PCL/PEG nanoparticles with core-shell structure were fabricated successfully. The core-shell structured nanoparticles were stored at 4 °C and were stable without changing size for at least 7 days. This method can easily prepare core-shell structured nanoparticle with different size by changing the injection speed of PCL solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis is a potential premalignant disorder. The underlying molecular aberrations, however, are not fully understood. A recent exome sequencing study found that 25% (10/39) of deep infiltrating endometriosis harbored cancer driver gene mutations. However, it is unclear whether these mutations also exist in ovarian endometriosis. Here, a total of 101 ovarian endometriosis samples were analyzed for the presence of these gene mutations, including KRAS, PPP2R1A, PIK3CA and ARID1A. In addition, 6 other cancer-associated genes (BRAF, NRAS, HRAS, ERK1, ERK2 and PTEN) were also analyzed. In total, four somatic mutations were identified in three out of 101 ovarian endometriotic lesions (4%, 4/101), including a KRAS p.G12V, a PPP2R1A p.S256F and two ARID1A nonsense mutations (p.Q403* and p.G1926*); while no mutations were identified in the remaining 7 genes (BRAF, NRAS, HRAS, ERK1, ERK2, PTEN and PIK3CA). Note that the KRAS G12V and ARID1A Q403* mutations co-occurred in a 36-year-old sample who had a high serum CA125 (308.4 U/mL) and a late menarche age (18-year-old). Additionally, no mutations in any of the 10 genes were identified in either the healthy eutopic endometrial tissues from 85 control individuals without endometriosis, or in 62 healthy ovarian tissues from ovarian cysts samples (without endometriosis). Our study revealed, for the first time, the presence of classical cancer driver gene mutations in ovarian endometriosis. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of KRAS and ARID1A mutations was identified in a single individual for the first time. The observations of cancer driver gene mutations in our ovarian endometriosis samples, together with several prior observations, further support the notion that endometriosis is a premalignant disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nano-sized poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) particles with core-shell structure were efficiently prepared by using coaxial tri-capillary electrospray-template removal method. The cellular uptake mechanism, intracellular distribution and exocytosis in A549 cell model of electrosprayed PLA-PEG nanoparticles were systemically studied. The drug release behavior of electrosprayed PLA-PEG nanoparticles were also investigated. Our results showed that PLA-PEG nanoparticles can be endocytosed quickly by A549 cells. The cellular uptake of PLA-PEG nanoparticles was an energy dependent endocytosis process. Caveolae-mediated endocytosis was only one of endocytosis pathways in A549 cells for PLA-PEG nanoparticles, while clathrin mediated endocytosis was not involved in the endocytosis process. The endocytosed PLA-PEG nanoparticles enriched in the head of A549 cells and only a small amount of them was transported into lysosome after 24 h incubation. These findings provided insights into the application of electrosprayed PLA-PEG nanoparticles in nano drug delivery field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we proposed a new strategy based on electrospray technique to prepare nanogels. Compared with other methods of preparing nanogels, electrospray technique is more simple and efficient. A biodegradable and multi-responsive poly(ether urethane) (PEU) was synthesized via a facile one-pot method and used as the electrospray material. By using electrospray technique, pH- and redox-responsive poly(ether urethane) nanogels were prepared. The morphologies of the electrospray nanoparticles before and after swelling were demonstrated to be spherical and uniform, as characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results showed that the mean hydrodynamic diameter of nanogels was about 500 nm. The pH- and redox-sensitive behaviors of nanogels were studied with DLS and TEM. In acidic media the nanogels dissociated, while in the presence of GSH the nanogels degraded. The nanogels suspension was stored at 4 °C and was stable without aggregation for at least 30 days. Doxorubicin (DOX) can be further loaded into the poly(ether urethane) nanogels. The electrospray nanogels can change the release rate of loaded drug in response to pH and GSH stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adenomyosis is a specific subtype of endometriosis and recent evidences have indicated that Tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) might be a potential therapeutic option for endometriosis. Meanwhile, endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) of adenomyosis might play crucial roles in the progression of this disease, emphasizing the importance of targeting ESCs in the treatment of adenomyosis. Furthermore, previous evidences also implicated that deregulated 14-3-3ζ expression might be associated with therapeutic effects of certain drugs.Aim Of the Study: The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential involvement of 14-3-3ζ in the process of TSIIA-treated adenomyosis.Materials and Methods: Ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EESCs) were isolated from a total of 3 patients with adenomyosis. Cells were treated with TSIIA and infected with 14-3-3ζ-overexpressing adenovirus, the expression level of 14-3-3ζ was determined by western blotting (WB), cell viability was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), cell invasion and migration was evaluated by transwell assay, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.Results: TSIIA could decrease cell viability, induce cell apoptosis, and inhibit cell migration and invasion in EESCs. Mechanistically, TSIIA markedly reduced the expression of 14-3-3ζ in EESCs, and overexpression of 14-3-3ζ could restore the ability of cell viability, migration and invasion, but has no effect on cell apoptosis.Conclusions: TSIIA could be a promising novel therapeutic agent for adenomyosis, via inducing cell apoptosis, inhibiting cell viability, migration and invasion in EESCs. Furthermore, the effects of cell viability, migration and invasion were mediated in 14-3-3ζ-dependent manner while that of cell apoptosis was mediated in 14-3-3ζ-independent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: LiFePO4 samples with preferred facets on the ac plane were prepared by the solvothermal method with or without well-dispersed amphiphilic carbonaceous material (ACM). The effects of ACM on the particle morphology, crystal orientation and electrochemical reactivity of the prepared LiFePO4 nanoparticles were investigated in detail. ACM serves a dual purpose. One purpose is facilitating the plate-like morphologies of LiFePO4 nanoparticles parallel to the b Pnma axis by decreasing the surface energy of (010) facets of newly created LiFePO4 nuclei. The other purpose is suppressing crystal growth along the [010] direction by adhering onto the (010) surface of LiFePO4 nanoplates. Furthermore, ACM coating was performed and optimized using a carbon coating precursor. The electrochemical properties of the prepared LiFePO4 particles were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge cycling tests. After the optimized coating of ACM, the ACM-intervened LiFePO4 composite was observed to deliver discharge capacities of 151.3 mAh g−1 at 1C and 132.2 mAh g−1 at 10C. Even after 1000 cycles at a high rate of 10C, the LiFePO4 cathode could maintain 80% of its initial capacity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel approach to design pH-sensitive and disintegrable polyelectrolyte nanogels composed of citraconic-based N -(carboxyacyl) chitosan (polyanion) and quaternary chitosan (polycation) was reported. Firstly, the hydrolysis of citraconic-modified chitosan was monitored using fluorescamine assay and it could selectively dissociate in acidic media (e.g., pH ∼5.0) due to the isomerization during the addition of citraconic anhydride to chitosan. Secondly, the self-assembly behaviors of different polyelectrolyte pairs between citraconic-based chitosan and quaternary chitosan were investigated via colloidal titration assay. It was indicated that the difference in molecular weight (MW) of opposite charged polyelectrolytes played an important role on the formation of polyelectrolyte nanogels. Results showed that polyelectrolyte nanogels (ca. 300 nm in size) only formed when polyanion and polycation had a very large difference in MW. The pH-sensitive behavior of polyelectrolyte nanogels was comprehensively investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The incorporation of charge-conversional citraconic-based chitosan into polyelectrolyte complexes has provided an effective approach to prepare polyelectrolyte nanogels which were very stable at neutral pH but disintegrated quickly in acidic media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Core–shell nanoparticles were fabricated by coaxial tri-capillary electrospray-template removal method. [•] The electrosprayed microparticles presented core–shell–corona structure. [•] The nanoparticles were downsized to 106nm by adjusting flow rate of corona fluid. [•] The nanoparticles displayed excellent dispersion stability and low cytotoxicity. [•] Paclitaxel loading content in the nanoparticles was achieved as high as 50wt%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The intrinsic relationship between molecular chain length and the probability of chain reaction during poly(lactic acid) (PLA) hydrolysis was investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. The chain reaction rate was calculated by introducing a power function of different molecular chain lengths. The hydrolysis of both amorphous and extended-chain crystal PLA was selected as the model system. It is found that, the chain reaction probability was proportional to the chain length with a power of 0.4 for amorphous PLA and 0.7-1 for extended-chain crystal PLA, respectively. These results indicate that PLA with longer chain length usually exhibits larger reaction rate than that with shorter length. Comparing the hydrolysis of the two kinds of PLA, the competition between longer and shorter chains in the different condensed structures is different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Soft-binding ligand capped CdSe/ZnS quantum dots was prepared by ligand exchange process. [•] The resultant quantum dots were soluble in several polar organic solvents, and the photoluminscence was highly preserved. [•] Polysaccharide-based micelles could be facilely labeled via soft-binding ligand capped quantum dots. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A numerical method is developed to compute the development of molecular weight distribution (MWD) curves of linear polymers undergoing chain scission. The method can be applied to complex chain scission kinetics and for arbitrarily complex initial MWD curves. Our method is based on the method of lines (MoL). Different from the existing numerical scheme, we propose the use of logarithmically spaced points. This development ensures the accuracy of the computed MWD curves at low molecular weights, and it does not require a very fine discretization to produce an accurate result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial poly( L-lactide) is typically heterogeneous in chain structure due to the existence of a small amount of D-lactyl units that are produced by the racemization reactions during the synthesis. In this article, the stereochemical heterogeneity of two commercial poly( L-lactide) was investigated with temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) and successive self-nucleation/annealing (SSA) thermal fractionation. For both samples, three fractions were collected and characterized with rotatory power analysis and DSC. The fractions show distinct optical purity and DSC results, which reflect the structure differences among them directly. After SSA treatment, the observation of multiple endotherms for each physically separated fraction confirms the fractionated sample contains a heterogeneous intermolecular and intramolecular distribution of defects. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Benzoylformic acid was synthesized from the hydrolysis of benzoyl cyanide by a newly isolated Rhodococcus sp. CCZU10-1. In this study, an aqueous–toluene biphasic system was developed for highly efficient production of benzoylformic acid from the hydrolysis of benzoyl cyanide. In the aqueous–toluene biphasic system, the phase volume ratio, buffer pH and reaction temperature were optimized. Using fed-batch method, a total of 932mM benzoylformic acid accumulated in the reaction mixture after the 10th feed. Moreover, enzymatic hydrolysis of benzoyl cyanide using calcium alginate entrapped resting cells was carried out in the aqueous–toluene biphasic system, and efficient biocatalyst recycling was achieved as a result of cell immobilization in calcium alginate, with a product-to-biocatalyst ratio of 14.26g benzoylformic acid g−1 dry cell weight (DCW) cell after 20 cycles of repeated use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The influence of loading indomethacin (IMC) on the thermosensitive aggregation of a double hydrophilic graft copolymer dextran-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (DgP) was studied. Before IMC-loading, DgP forms loose aggregates of unimers in aqueous solution below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), while compact nanoparticles appear above the LCST because of the phase transition of the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) side chains (Topp, 1997 ; Motokawa, 2005 ; Zhao, 2006 ). After the loading of IMC, however, uniform nanoparticles were formed even below the LCST. The hydrogen bonding between IMC and the PNIPAAm side chains is proposed as the driving force for the aggregation. The IMC release rate was accelerated at a higher temperature because of the dissociation of the hydrogen bonds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel pH-responsive hydrogel (CHC) composed of N-carboxyethyl chitosan (CEC) and N-[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium) propyl] chitosan chloride (HTCC) was synthesized by the redox polymerization technique. Turbidimetric titrations were used to determine the stoichiometric ratio of these two chitosan derivatives. The hydrogel was characterized by FT-IR, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dynamic transport of water showed that the hydrogel reached equilibrium within 48h. The swelling ratio of CHC hydrogel depended significantly on the pH of the buffer solution. The performance of the CHC as a matrix for the controlled release of BSA was investigated. It was found that the release behavior was determined by pH value of the medium as well as the intermolecular interaction between BSA and the hydrogels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Three isomeric water-soluble and light-stable silver(i) coordination polymers with a fluorinated carboxylate ligand were prepared by template-controlled method, which show different 2D polymeric coordination structures with a novel layered inorganic connectivity in the solid state. In water solution, they dissociate into several stable polynuclear silver(i) oligomers and exhibit extraordinary antimicrobial activities against selected bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]