Preparation, Purification, and Identification of a Monoclonal Antibody Against NRP2 b1b2 Domain

First identified as a high-affinity kinase-deficient receptor for class-3 semaphorins and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) families, Neuropilin2 (NRP2) is a transmembrane non-tyrosine-kinase glycoprotein that has a vital function in neuronal patterning. Furthermore, NRP2 expression is often upregulated in cancer tissues and correlated with poor prognosis. In the present study, we report the establishment of a monoclonal antibody specific for NRP2b1b2 domain (NRP2 MAb) through hybridoma method. NRP2 MAb is measured to have a titer of 5.12 × 10(5) against NRP2b1b2 in indirect ELISA. Western blotting, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence analysis indicate that NRP2 MAb can combine full-length NRP2 in LoVo and SW480 cells. Besides helping further understand NRP2-related pathological mechanisms and cell-signaling pathways, NRP2 MAb may act as a therapeutic agent for cancer in the future.

Conditions associated with extreme hyperferritinaemia (>3000 μg/L) in adults

BACKGROUND

The clinical significance of extreme hyperferritinaemia has come under scrutiny with the increasing recognition of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in adults. Most studies of hyperferritinaemia have focused on serum ferritin greater than 1000 μg/L, often in ambulatory patients. The conditions associated with more extreme hyperferritinaemia are poorly understood.

AIMS

To examine conditions associated with extreme hyperferritinaemia greater than 3000 μg/L in acutely ill adults at a quaternary care hospital.

METHODS

Patients with serum ferritin greater than 3000 μg/L at Vancouver General Hospital between 1 August 2011 and 1 August 2012 were identified. Those over 18 years of age and with clinical data available were included in the study.

RESULTS

Eighty-three subjects were identified. Twenty-one cases (25%) were due to transfusional iron overload, 16 (19%) due to liver disease and 15 (18%) due to mixed factors. Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) was diagnosed in six of 83 patients (7%) with ferritin greater than 3000 μg/L, but six of eight patients (75%) with ferritin greater than 20 000 μg/L.

CONCLUSIONS

Extreme hyperferritinaemia greater than 3000 μg/L is uncommon in adult patients. The highest serum ferritin values are seen in HLH, but the differential diagnosis for serum ferritin greater than 3000 μg/L remains broad with iron overload and liver disease being the most common causes.

[Value of gemstone spectral CT imaging in diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodule]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the diagnostic efficiency of gemstone spectral CT imaging in diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN).

METHODS

A total of 114 patients with SPN proved by pathology (from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and 13 cooperative hospitals) underwent spectral CT from July 2014 to July 2015.All the patients were divided into malignant group(63 cases), inflammatory group(32 cases) and tuberculosis group(19 cases) .Iodine concentration(IC), normalized iodine concentration(NIC) and slope rate of spectral curve(40-80 keV) in both arterial and venous phase were measured and calculated.The one-way ANOVA and LSD were used to analyze parameters among 3 groups.ROC curves were taken to calculate the diagnostic efficiency and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity .

RESULTS

IC, NIC and slope rate of spectral curve had statistically significant differences in both phases (all P<0.05). The malignant group was the highest, and the tuberculosis group was the lowest(all P<0.05). When NIC(venous phase)>0.31, NIC>0.28, NIC>0.21, the sensitivity of diagnosing malignant and inflammatory SPN, malignant and tuberculosis SPN, inflammatory and tuberculosis SPN were respectively 81.0%, 85.7%, 84.4%, and the specificity of them were 71.9%, 94.7%, 84.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Spectral CT imaging is helpful to diagnosis of SPN, and venous phase NIC can get high sensitivity and specificity for qualitative diagnosis of SPN.

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus samples obtained from farms in Gansu, China

Porcine epidemic diarrhea poses significant sanitation problems in the porcine industry, and has negatively affected the economy in recent years. In this study, 48 fecal specimens were collected from piglets from four intensive swine farms located in the Gansu Province of China. The molecular diversity and phylogenetic relationships between porcine epidemic diarrhea viruses (PEDV) prevalent in Gansu were probed, and the resultant proteins were characterized. Sequence analysis of the spike protein (S) genes showed that each specimen had unique characteristics, and that the PEDV1/S/4 strain could be differentiated from the others via a unique mutation of the S gene. The phylogeny of S glycoprotein showed that all strains were clustered into two major groups. The four Gansu PEDV field strains were characterized into different groups; this finding was consistent with the results of the protein characterization prediction. This analysis additionally revealed the unique characteristics of each specimen. The results of this study could be used to elucidate the prevalence of PEDV and contribute to the prevention of PEDV in Gansu.

[Nickel smelting dust exposures to NIH/3T3 cellular mitochondrial damage and L-ascorbic acid interference effect]

OBJECTIVE

To study the protection of L-ascorbic acid on mouse embryonic fibroblasts (NIH/3T3) from carcinogenic effects caused by nickel smelting smoke subjects.

METHODS

The NIH/3T3 cells were divided into experimental and L-ascorbic acid in the intervention group. Plus exposure group concentration of nickel refining dusts were formulate 0.00, 25.00, 50.00, 100.00 μg/ml suspension, the intervention group on the basis of the added exposure group containing L-ascorbic acid (100 mmol/L) , contacted. Then, the cell viability was detected by MTT assay, we used Calcein-AM fluorescence probe to detect cell mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) changes, JC-1 staining to observe and detect the cell mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) change, colorimetric quantitative to study the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ.

RESULTS

Upon 24 h incubation, both cell relative inhibition rate, openness of MPTP were increasing enhanced by different concentrations, on the other hand, MMP and the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexⅠ, Ⅱ, Ⅳ were obviously decreased, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) .After L-ascorbic acid intervention treatment, the results of the intervention group were lower than that of the exposure group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) , indicating the protection of L-ascorbic acid on cell mitochondrial from the nickel exposure damage.

CONCLUSION

The damage effects of nickel on NIH/3T3 cell mitochondrial was significantly enhanced with the increasing concentration, and L-ascorbic acid has certain protection on cellular mitochondrial.

Evidence for Octupole Correlations in Multiple Chiral Doublet Bands

Two pairs of positive-and negative-parity doublet bands together with eight strong electric dipole transitions linking their yrast positive- and negative-parity bands have been identified in ^{78}Br. They are interpreted as multiple chiral doublet bands with octupole correlations, which is supported by the microscopic multidimensionally-constrained covariant density functional theory and triaxial particle rotor model calculations. This observation reports the first example of chiral geometry in octupole soft nuclei.

Sevoflurane downregulates interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 levels in patients after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery: a meta-analysis

This study aimed to investigate the effect of sevoflurane on serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 in patients who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The strength of the association between sevoflurane treatment and serum level of IL-6 and IL-8 was determined in patients who underwent CPB by summary standard mean differences (SMDs); 95% confidence interval (CI) was used. In total, seven case-control studies showed decreased IL-6 and IL-8 levels in sevoflurane-treated patients than in controls (IL-6: SMD = 1.56, 95%CI: 0.95-2.17, P < 0.001; IL-8: SMD = 1.63, 95%CI: 0.30-2.96, P < 0.001, respectively). Further, IL-6 and IL-8 levels were significantly higher in sevoflurane-treated patients than in sevoflurane-pretreated patients (IL-6 post vs pre: SMD = 2.17, 95%CI: 1.40-2.95, P < 0.001; IL-8 post vs pre: SMD = 4.01, 95%CI: 2.80-5.21, P < 0.001, respectively). CPB-stratified analysis showed significant decrease in IL-6 and IL-8 levels in sevoflurane-treated patients than in controls, irrespective of the time after CPB surgery (P < 0.05). Moreover, sevoflurane-pretreated patients under the <12-h subgroup showed decreased IL-6 levels (P = 0.698), while all other subgroups showed decreased IL-8 levels (P < 0.05). Further, subgroup analysis by different dose of sevoflurane showed decreased IL-6 and IL-8 levels in subgroups administered with a dose of <2 and ≥ 2% sevoflurane under the case vs control and pre- vs post-treatment of sevoflurane models. Serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels were significantly lower in sevoflurane-treated patients who underwent CPB, suggesting sevoflurane pretreatment to be more beneficial than post-treatment.

Genetic diversity and variability in populations of the white wax insect Ericerus pela, assessed by AFLP analysis

The white wax insect Ericerus pela Chavannes (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) is an economically valuable insect species that has been used for over a thousand years in China. The present study focuses on assessing the genetic variability in different populations of E. pela collected from seven Chinese provinces. The amplified fragment length polymorphism technique was used to generate DNA fingerprints of individuals from each population using nine primer combinations (EcoRI-MseI). A total of 435 polymorphic loci were generated; fragment sizes ranged from 200 to 1000 bp. The percentage of polymorphic loci was 85.29%. Nei's genetic diversity and Shannon index indicated consistency in the results, which showed that the Sichuan population had the highest diversity, followed by Yunnan and Zhejiang populations. Dendrogram analysis showed the shortest genetic distance between the Sichuan and Yunnan populations, suggesting that they probably form sister groups. High genetic differentiation between population values among all sampled populations indicated a low degree of genetic variability within each population (40.85%) and higher variation among populations (59.15%). Gene flow estimate values were low in all samples, suggesting low gene flow from events such as interbreeding and migration. Low gene flow values also suggested that populations among species of E. pela might become genetically heterogeneous, due to counteracting forces such as strong differential selection. Our data support the probability that E. pela will remain localized, and has a low potential to spread beyond current habitats.

Sex Steroids Influence Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor Secretion From Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells

Brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) is emerging as an important player in airway inflammation, remodeling, and hyperreactivity. Separately, there is increasing evidence that sex hormones contribute to pathophysiology in the lung. BDNF and sex steroid signaling are thought to be intricately linked in the brain. There is currently little information on BDNF and sex steroid interactions in the airway but is relevant to understanding growth factor signaling in the context of asthma in men versus women. In this study, we assessed the effect of sex steroids on BDNF expression and secretion in human airway smooth muscle (ASM). Human ASM was treated with estrogen (E2 ) or testosterone (T, 10 nM each) and intracellular BDNF and secreted BDNF measured. E2 and T significantly reduced secretion of BDNF; effects prevented by estrogen and androgen receptor inhibitor, ICI 182,780 (1 μM), and flutamide (10 μM), respectively. Interestingly, no significant changes were observed in intracellular BDNF mRNA or protein expression. High affinity BDNF receptor, TrkB, was not altered by E2 or T. E2 (but not T) significantly increased intracellular cyclic AMP levels. Notably, Epac1 and Epac2 expression were significantly reduced by E2 and T. Furthermore, SNARE complex protein SNAP25 was decreased. Overall, these novel data suggest that physiologically relevant concentrations of E2 or T inhibit BDNF secretion in human ASM, suggesting a potential interaction of sex steroids with BDNF in the airway that is different from brain. The relevance of sex steroid-BDNF interactions may lie in their overall contribution to airway diseases such as asthma.

Dynamics and Diffusion Mechanism of Low-Density Liquid Silicon

A first-order phase transition from a high-density liquid to a low-density liquid has been proposed to explain the various thermodynamic anomies of water. It also has been proposed that such liquid-liquid phase transition would exist in supercooled silicon. Computer simulation studies show that, across the transition, the diffusivity drops roughly 2 orders of magnitude, and the structures exhibit considerable tetrahedral ordering. The resulting phase is a highly viscous, low-density liquid silicon. Investigations on the atomic diffusion of such a novel form of liquid silicon are of high interest. Here we report such diffusion results from molecular dynamics simulations using the classical Stillinger-Weber (SW) potential of silicon. We show that the atomic diffusion of the low-density liquid is highly correlated with local tetrahedral geometries. We also show that atoms diffuse through hopping processes within short ranges, which gradually accumulate to an overall random motion for long ranges as in normal liquids. There is a close relationship between dynamical heterogeneity and hopping process. We point out that the above diffusion mechanism is closely related to the strong directional bonding nature of the distorted tetrahedral network. Our work offers new insights into the complex behavior of the highly viscous low density liquid silicon, suggesting similar diffusion behaviors in other tetrahedral coordinated liquids that exhibit liquid-liquid phase transition such as carbon and germanium.

Bioremediation of 1,2-dichloroethane contaminated groundwater: Microcosm and microbial diversity studies

In this study, the effectiveness of bioremediating 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA)-contaminated groundwater under different oxidation-reduction processes was evaluated. Microcosms were constructed using indigenous bacteria and activated sludge as the inocula and cane molasses and a slow polycolloid-releasing substrate (SPRS) as the primary substrates. Complete DCA removal was obtained within 30 days under aerobic and reductive dechlorinating conditions. In anaerobic microcosms with sludge and substrate addition, chloroethane, vinyl chloride, and ethene were produced. The microbial communities and DCA-degrading bacteria in microcosms were characterized by 16S rRNA-based denatured-gradient-gel electrophoresis profiling and nucleotide sequence analyses. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to evaluate the variations in Dehalococcoides spp. and Desulfitobacterium spp. Increase in Desulfitobacterium spp. indicates that the growth of Desulfitobacterium might be induced by DCA. Results indicate that DCA could be used as the primary substrate under aerobic conditions. The increased ethene concentrations imply that dihaloelimination was the dominate mechanism for DCA biodegradation.

Capability of GaN based micro-light emitting diodes operated at an injection level of kA/cm²

Different size InGaN/GaN based micro-LEDs (μLEDs) are fabricated. An extremely high injection level above 16 kA/cm2 is achieved for 10 μm-diameter LED. The lateral current density and carrier distributions of the μLEDs are simulated by APSYS software. Streak camera time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) results show clear evidence that the band-gap renormalization (BGR) effect is weakened by strain relaxation in smaller size μLEDs. BGR affects the relaxation of free carriers on the conduction band bottom in multiple quantum wells (MQWs), and then indirectly affects the recombination rate of carriers. An energy band model based on BGR effect is made to explain the high-injection-level phenomenon for μLEDs.

The consensus sequence of FAMLF alternative splice variants is overexpressed in undifferentiated hematopoietic cells

The familial acute myeloid leukemia related factor gene (FAMLF) was previously identified from a familial AML subtractive cDNA library and shown to undergo alternative splicing. This study used real-time quantitative PCR to investigate the expression of the FAMLF alternative-splicing transcript consensus sequence (FAMLF-CS) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 119 patients with de novo acute leukemia (AL) and 104 healthy controls, as well as in CD34+ cells from 12 AL patients and 10 healthy donors. A 429-bp fragment from a novel splicing variant of FAMLF was obtained, and a 363-bp consensus sequence was targeted to quantify total FAMLF expression. Kruskal-Wallis, Nemenyi, Spearman's correlation, and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to analyze the data. FAMLF-CS expression in PBMCs from AL patients and CD34+ cells from AL patients and controls was significantly higher than in control PBMCs (P < 0.0001). Moreover, FAMLF-CS expression in PBMCs from the AML group was positively correlated with red blood cell count (rs =0.317, P=0.006), hemoglobin levels (rs = 0.210, P = 0.049), and percentage of peripheral blood blasts (rs = 0.256, P = 0.027), but inversely correlated with hemoglobin levels in the control group (rs = -0.391, P < 0.0001). AML patients with high CD34+ expression showed significantly higher FAMLF-CS expression than those with low CD34+ expression (P = 0.041). Our results showed that FAMLF is highly expressed in both normal and malignant immature hematopoietic cells, but that expression is lower in normal mature PBMCs.

Attenuation of short strongly nonlinear stress pulses in dissipative granular chains

Attenuation of short, strongly nonlinear stress pulses in chains of spheres and cylinders was investigated experimentally and numerically for two ratios of their masses keeping their contacts identical. The chain with mass ratio 0.98 supports solitary waves and another one (with mass ratio 0.55) supports nonstationary pulses, which preserve their identity only on relatively short distances, but attenuate on longer distances because of radiation of small amplitude tails generated by oscillating small mass particles. Pulse attenuation in experiments in the chain with mass ratio 0.55 was faster at the same number of the particles from the entrance than in the chain with mass ratio 0.98. It is in quantitative agreement with results of numerical calculations with effective damping coefficient 6 kg/s. This level of damping was critical for eliminating the gap openings between particles in the system with mass ratio 0.55 present at lower or no damping. With increase of dissipation numerical results show that the chain with mass ratio 0.98 provides faster attenuation than the chain with mass ratio 0.55 due to the fact that the former system supports the narrower pulse with the larger difference between velocities of neighboring particles. The investigated chains demonstrated similar behavior at large damping coefficient 100 kg/s.

Effect of ulinastatin on HMGB1 expression in rats with acute lung injury induced by sepsis

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of ulinastatin (UTI) on high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 expression in acute lung injury (ALI) rats with sepsis caused by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery, as well as to examine the underlying biological mechanism. Thirty rats were randomly and evenly divided into sham (control), CLP, and CLP + UTI groups. Thirty minutes after the surgery, the rats in the CLP + UTI group received UTI via the caudal vein, while normal saline was administered to rats in the other groups. Blood, lung tissues, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected at different time points (6, 12, 24, and 48 h) after surgery for determination of related indicators. Compared with the CLP group, rats in the CLP + UTI group exhibited higher seven day survival rates, less lung injury, and decreased HMGB1 expression in the lung tissue, serum, and BALF. In addition, the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 at 24 h in the CLP + UTI group were markedly lower than those in the CLP group. These results suggest that by deregulation, UTI might decrease the lung injury and increase the survival time of ALI rats by downregulating HMGB1 expression as well as by inhibiting TNF-α and IL-6 levels in serum and BALF.

A highly accurate dynamic contact angle algorithm for drops on inclined surface based on ellipse-fitting

To improve the accuracy in the calculation of dynamic contact angle for drops on the inclined surface, a significant number of numerical drop profiles on the inclined surface with different inclination angles, drop volumes, and contact angles are generated based on the finite difference method, a least-squares ellipse-fitting algorithm is used to calculate the dynamic contact angle. The influences of the above three factors are systematically investigated. The results reveal that the dynamic contact angle errors, including the errors of the left and right contact angles, evaluated by the ellipse-fitting algorithm tend to increase with inclination angle/drop volume/contact angle. If the drop volume and the solid substrate are fixed, the errors of the left and right contact angles increase with inclination angle. After performing a tremendous amount of computation, the critical dimensionless drop volumes corresponding to the critical contact angle error are obtained. Based on the values of the critical volumes, a highly accurate dynamic contact angle algorithm is proposed and fully validated. Within nearly the whole hydrophobicity range, it can decrease the dynamic contact angle error in the inclined plane method to less than a certain value even for different types of liquids.

Pedunculated subcutaneous lipoma in the popliteal fossa causing eczema

Pedunculated subcutaneous lipoma in the popliteal fossa extending through the superficial fascia causing chronic irritant dermatitis of the adjacent skin with "psoriatic-like" plaque. To the author's knowledge, no similar case has been reported in the literature.

In silico analysis and experimental validation of active compounds from fructus Schisandrae chinensis in protection from hepatic injury

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore mechanisms by which fructus Schisandrae chinensis (Wuweizi) is able to reveal its protective capacity against hepatocyte injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Identification of candidate small molecular compounds was performed by text-mining, extraction and isolation, reverse-docking, network construction, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In vitro cytological examination and western blotting were used to validate efficacy of selected compounds.

RESULTS

We analyzed chemical composition of fructus Schisandrae chinensis and constructed protein-protein networks of key targets. Networks of miRNA-protein were constructed. Molecular docking and MD simulation results supported good interaction between selected compound 11/12 and GBA3/SHBG. Further in vitro examination divulged molecular mechanisms involved.

CONCLUSIONS

In silico analysis and experimental validation together demonstrated that compound 11/12 of fructus Schisandrae chinensis targetted GBA3/SHBG in hepatocytes. Hopefully this will shed light on exploration of its complex molecular mechanisms.

Isolation, molecular cloning, and characterization of a novel porcine lymphotoxin beta receptor gene

The lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTβR) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor family of receptors (TNFR). It plays a role in regulating lymphoid organogenesis and homeostasis of the immune system. In the present study, the full coding region of a putative LTβR gene of Sus scrofa was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cloned for the first time (accession Nos. JX457347 and AFU74012). In addition, analysis of the tissue expression profile was carried out via RT-PCR. The full-length coding region of porcine LTβR had 1266 nucleotides (molecular weight, 45.61 kDa; pI, 5.71) and encoded 421 amino acids. Bioinformatic prediction indicates that LTβR belongs to the TNFR superfamily and contains a TNFR domain. The sequence homology analysis revealed that the amino acid sequences of S. scrofa LTβR had 82.9, 82.4, 81.3, 80.5, 78.7, 74.6, and 73.0% identity with those of Equus caballus, Canis lupus, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, Oryctolagus cuniculus, Bos taurus, Mus musculus, and Homo sapiens, respectively. The phylogenetic tree based on the amino acid sequences of LTβR from 8 species revealed that S. scrofa was more closely related to E. caballus, C. lupus, and A. melanoleuca. RT-PCR analysis showed that the porcine LTβR gene was differentially expressed (e.g., high, moderate, low, or nonexistent) in various tissues (e.g., prostate, pituitary, brainstem, and esophagus, respectively). This may be related to differences in the regulation of LTβR in the different tissues.

Caution for acute submassive pulmonary embolism with syncope as initial symptom: a case report

Pulmonary embolism (PE) may escape prompt diagnosis since clinical symptoms and signs are nonspecific. The occurrence of syncope as the sole initial symptom in a previously healthy patient with no predisposing factors to embolism and no hemodynamic instability is extremely rare, which may have been a factor in the delayed diagnosis. We describe a case of acute submassive PE with syncope as the initial symptom. A 62-year-old previously healthy female was admitted to our hospital for transitory episode of syncope. Following admission, chest computed tomography demonstrated embolism in the right main pulmonary and left inferior pulmonary arteries. Following the final diagnosis, the patient was successfully treated with thrombolytic therapy with systemic urokinase. We consider that raised awareness and early diagnosis and treatment were key factors in ensuring a satisfactory prognosis.

Development of monoclonal antibody-based sandwich ELISA for detection of dextran

Dextran as anti-nutritional factor is usually a result of bacteria activity and has associated serial problems during the process stream in the sugar industry and in medical therapy. A sensitive method is expected to detect dextran quantitatively. Here we generated four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against dextran using dextran T40 conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as immunogen in our lab following hybridoma protocol. Through pairwise, an MAb named D24 was determined to be conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and was used in the establishment of a sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for determination of dextran, in which MAb D9 was chosen as a capture antibody. The detection limit and working scope of the developed sandwich ELISA method were 3.9 ng/mL and 7.8-500 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.9909. In addition, the cross-reaction assay demonstrated that the method possessed high specificity with no significant cross-reaction with dextran-related substances, and the recovery rate ranged from 96.35 to 102.00%, with coefficient of variation ranging from 1.58 to 6.94%. These results indicated that we developed a detection system of MAb-based sandwich ELISA to measure dextran and this system should be a potential tool to determine dextran levels.

Intranasal sirna targeting c-kit reduces airway inflammation in experimental allergic asthma

Allergic asthma is characterized by airway inflammation caused by infiltration and activation of inflammatory cells that produce cytokines. Many studies have revealed that c-kit, a proto-oncogene, and its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), play an important role in the development of asthmatic inflammation. Intranasal small interference RNA (siRNA) nanoparticles targeting specific viral gene could inhibit airway inflammation. In this study, we assessed whether silencing of c-kit with intranasal small interference RNA could reduce inflammation in allergic asthma. A mouse model of experimental asthma was treated with intranasal administration of anti-c-kit siRNA to inhibit the expression of the c-kit gene. We assessed the inflammatory response in both anti-c-kit siRNA-treated and control mice. Local administration of siRNA effectively inhibited the expression of the c-kit gene and reduced airway mucus secretion and the infiltration of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Moreover, c-kit siRNA reduced the production of SCF, interleukin-4 (IL-4), and IL-5, but had no effect on interferon-γ (IFN-γ) generation. These results show that intranasal siRNA nanoparticles targeting c-kit can decrease the inflammatory response in experimental allergic asthma.

Designing of the massive gas injection valve for the joint Texas experimental tokamak

In order to mitigate the negative effects of the plasma disruption a massive gas injection (MGI) valve is designed for the joint Texas experimental tokamak. The MGI valve is based on the eddy-current repulsion mechanism. It has a fueling volume of 30 ml. The piston of the MGI valve is made by non-ferromagnetic material, so it can be installed close to the vacuum vessel which has a strong toroidal magnetic field. A diode is use to prevent current oscillation in the discharge circuit. The drive coil of the valve is installed outside the gas chamber. The opening characteristics and the gas flow of the MGI valve have been tested by a 60 l vacuum chamber. Owing to the large electromagnetic force the reaction time of the valve is shorter than 0.3 ms. Duration for the opening of the MGI valve is in the order of 10 ms.

Age-related macular degeneration and protective effect of HMG Co-A reductase inhibitors (statins): results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2008

PURPOSE

To determine the association of hydroxymethylglutarylcoenzyme A (HMG Co-A) reductase inhibitor (statin) use with the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 5604 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2008, ≥ 40 years of age, who were ascertained with regard to the diagnosis of AMD, the use of statins, and comorbidities and health-related behaviors such as smoking.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants denying or confirming a history of AMD was 68 (SEM 0.90) and 55 (SEM 0.36) years, respectively. Individuals 68 years of age or older who were classified as long-term users of statins had statistically significant less self-reported AMD (odds ratio (OR) 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.84; P=0.002), after adjusting for potential confounding variables. No significant association was found between the prevalence of AMD and statin consumption among subjects between 40 and 67 years of age (OR 1.61, 95% CI 0.85-3.03; P=0.137).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest a possible beneficial effect of statin intake for the prevention of AMD in individuals 68 years of age or older.

Atomic structure evolution during solidification of liquid niobium from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

Atomic structure transitions of liquid niobium during solidification, at different temperatures from 3200 to 1500 K, were studied by using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The local atomic structure variations with temperature are investigated by using the pair-correlation function, the structure factor, the bond-angle distribution function, the Honeycutt-Anderson index, Voronoi tessellation and the cluster alignment methods. Our results clearly show that, upon quenching, the icosahedral short-range order dominates in the stable liquid and supercooled liquid states before the system transforms to crystalline body-center cubic phase at a temperature of about 1830 K.

An overview on natural polysaccharides with antioxidant properties

Pharmacotherapy using natural substances can be currently regarded as a very promising future alternative to conventional therapy. With the rapid development of biotechnologies and analytical techniques, a great number of methods have been developed for the identification and quantification of the material, extracts, and products of natural ingredients. The advances available today. The need for safer drugs without side effects has led to the use of natural ingredients with proven safety. In recent years, some bioactive polysaccharides isolated from natural sources have attracted much attention in the field of biochemistry and pharmacology. As an example, polysaccharides or their glycoconjugates were shown to exhibit multiple biological activities including anticarcinogenic, anticoagulant, immunostimulating, antioxidant, etc. During the last several years, we have witnessed a steady expansion in the number of publications that focus in antioxidant polysaccharides. This review presents current findings on the latest advancements and trends in antioxidant polysaccharides isolated from the following: plants, fungi, bacteria, animal sources, and algae. Some interesting studies focus on investigation of the relationship between their structure and antioxidant activity, elucidation of their antioxidant mechanism at the molecular level, and improvement of their various biological activities by chemical modifications. Although the mechanism of their antioxidant action is still not completely clear, these polysaccharides are suggested to enhance cell-mediated immune responses in vivo and in vitro and act as biological response modifiers.

Control of trichloroethylene plume migration using a biobarrier system: a field-scale study

The objective of this field-scale study was to evaluate the effectiveness of controlling trichloroethylene (TCE) plume migration using the polycolloid substrate (PS) biobarrier. The developed PS (containing soybean oil, lactate and surfactants) could release substrate to enhance the TCE dechlorination. In this study, a biobarrier comprising PS injection wells was installed. Injection wells were installed at 5-m intervals, and approximately 15 L of PS was injected into each well. Results show that TCE concentrations in the injection wells dropped from an average of 87 μg/L to below 1 μg/L after 35 days of PS injection. The total organic carbon concentrations in the injection wells increased from an average of 2.1-543 mg/L after 30 days of PS injection. The dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) values dropped from an average of 1.6 mg/L to below 0.1 mg/L and from 124 mv to -14 mv after 20 days of injection, respectively. The DO and ORP remained in anaerobic conditions during the remaining 100 days of the operational period. TCE degradation by-products were observed in groundwater samples during the operational period. This reveals that the addition of PS could effectively enhance the reductive dechlorinating of TCE.

Thermal response of a dental tissue induced by femtosecond laser pulses

This paper reports a theoretical and experimental study for thermal transport in a thin slice of human tooth induced by a 120 fs, 800 nm pulse laser at a repetition rate of 1 kHz. The surface reflectivity of enamel and the convection heat transfer coefficient were determined using an inverse heat transfer analysis. Instead of a fully three-dimensional modeling, two simplified two-dimensional (2D) planar and axisymmetric heat conduction models were proposed to simulate the temperature fields. The temperature responses obtained from the 2D planar and axisymmetric model agree well with the experimental measurements. On the other hand, the one-dimensional (1D) result significantly differs from the 2D axisymmetric one, suggesting that care should be taken when a 1D thermal model is considered for estimating temperature response.

Effects of strontium impurity on the structure and dynamics of Al88Si12 liquid

The effects of strontium modification on the structure and dynamics of Al88Si12 liquid are studied by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. By replacing 0.5% and 4.0% of Al with Sr, we show that the addition of Sr lowers the self-diffusion of Al and Si of the liquid and reduces the nearest-neighbor correlation between Si atoms. The simulation provides an explanation for the change in morphology of the eutectic phases observed in rapidly solidified Al-Si alloys modified with Sr.

Spermine attenuates the action of the DNA intercalator, actinomycin D, on DNA binding and the inhibition of transcription and DNA replication

The anticancer activity of DNA intercalators is related to their ability to intercalate into the DNA duplex with high affinity, thereby interfering with DNA replication and transcription. Polyamines (spermine in particular) are almost exclusively bound to nucleic acids and are involved in many cellular processes that require nucleic acids. Until now, the effects of polyamines on DNA intercalator activities have remained unclear because intercalation is the most important mechanism employed by DNA-binding drugs. Herein, using actinomycin D (ACTD) as a model, we have attempted to elucidate the effects of spermine on the action of ACTD, including its DNA-binding ability, RNA and DNA polymerase interference, and its role in the transcription and replication inhibition of ACTD within cells. We found that spermine interfered with the binding and stabilization of ACTD to DNA. The presence of increasing concentrations of spermine enhanced the transcriptional and replication activities of RNA and DNA polymerases, respectively, in vitro treated with ActD. Moreover, a decrease in intracellular polyamine concentrations stimulated by methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) enhanced the ACTD-induced inhibition of c-myc transcription and DNA replication in several cancer cell lines. The results indicated that spermine attenuates ACTD binding to DNA and its inhibition of transcription and DNA replication both in vitro and within cells. Finally, a synergistic antiproliferative effect of MGBG and ACTD was observed in a cell viability assay. Our findings will be of significant relevance to future developments in combination with cancer therapy by enhancing the anticancer activity of DNA interactors through polyamine depletion.

[Influence of bear bile on rat hepatocarcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine]

To investigate the influence of bear bile on rat hepatocarcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN), a total of 40 rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control group, model group, and two bear bile treatment groups. The rat liver cancer model was induced by breeding with water containing 100 mg x L(-1) DEN for 14 weeks. The rats of the bear bile groups received bear bile powder (200 or 400 mg x kg(-1)) orally 5 times per week for 18 weeks. The general condition and the body weight of rats were examined every day. After 18 weeks the activities of serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and total bilirubin (TBIL) were detected. Meanwhile, the pathological changes of liver tissues were observed after H&E staining. The expression of proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and a-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in liver tissue were detected by immunohistochemical method. After 4 weeks the body weights of rats in normal group were significantly more than that in other groups (P < 0.05); and that in the two bile groups was significantly more than that in the model group. Compared with normal group, the level of serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and total bilirubin increased significantly in other groups; compared with model group, these two indexes decreased significantly in two bile groups. Hepatocellular carcinoma occurred in all rats except for normal group; there were classic cirrhosis and cancer in model group while there were mild cirrhosis and high differentiation in two bile groups. There were almost no expressions of PCNA and alpha-SMA in normal group while there were high expressions in model group; the two bile groups had some expressions but were inferior to the model group, and alpha-SMA reduced markedly. It indicated that bear bile restrained the development of liver cancer during DEN inducing rat hepatocarcinoma, which may be related to its depressing hepatic stellate cell activation and relieving hepatic lesion and cirrhosis.

The effect of soy isoflavone on bone mineral density in postmenopausal Taiwanese women with bone loss: a 2-year randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study

The treatment of 300-mg/day isoflavones (aglycone equivalents) (172.5 mg genistein + 127.5 mg daidzein) for 2 years failed to prevent lumbar spine and total proximal femur bone mineral density (BMD) from declining as compared with the placebo group in a randomized, double-blind, two-arm designed study enrolling 431 postmenopausal women 45-65 years old.

INTRODUCTION

This study evaluated the effects of soy isoflavones on bone metabolism in postmenopausal women.

METHODS

Four hundred and thirty-one women, aged 45-65 years, orally consumed 300-mg/day isoflavones (aglycone equivalents) or a placebo for 2 years in a parallel group, randomized, double-blind, two-arm study. Each participant also ingested 600 mg of calcium and 125 IU of vitamin D(3) per day. The BMD of the lumbar spine and total proximal femur were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and every half-year thereafter. Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, urinary N-telopeptide of type 1 collagen/creatinine, and other safety assessments were examined regularly.

RESULTS

Two hundred out of 217 subjects in the isoflavone group and 199 out of 214 cases in placebo group completed the treatment. Serum concentrations of isoflavone metabolites, genistein and daidzein, of the intervention group were remarkably elevated following intake of isoflavones (p < 0.001). However, differences in the mean percentage changes of BMD throughout the treatment period were not statistically significant (lumbar spine, p = 0.42; total femur, p = 0.39) between the isoflavone and placebo groups, according to the generalized estimating equation (GEE) method. A significant time trend of bone loss was observed at both sites as assessed by the GEE method following repeated measurement of BMD (p < 0.001). Differences in bone marker levels were not significant between the two treatment groups.

CONCLUSION

Treatment with 300-mg/day isoflavones (aglycone equivalents) failed to prevent a decline in BMD in the lumbar spine or total femur compared with the placebo group.

[Comparisons of endocrine hormones levels between Tibetan antelope and Tibetan sheep]

The Tibetan antelope, a prototype mammal, has developed a unique adaptation to extreme high altitude-associated hypoxia. To investigate the role of the endocrine system in adaptation to high altitude in the Tibetan antelope, comparisons of endocrine hormones levels between Tibetan antelope (n = 9) and Tibetan sheep (n = 10) were performed. Both two kinds of animals were captured at an altitude of 4 300 m and then transported to experimental base at 2 800 m altitude. The blood samples were drawn from right external jugular vein in the next morning, and the 20 hormones in hypothalamus-adenohypophysis-peripheral hormonal axis were measured with radioimmunoassay or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) were recorded using catheterization. Moreover, hemoglobin (Hb) content was measured by blood analyser. The results showed that, the levels of FT(3), FT(4) and Ang II in Tibetan antelope were significantly lower than those in Tibetan sheep, whereas TRH, CRH, GHRH, F, E(2), Ald, ACTH and CGRP levels were significantly greater in Tibetan antelope than those in the Tibetan sheep. Compared with Tibetan sheep, Tibetan antelope showed lower HR, mPAP, SBP, DBP and Hb content. In Tibetan antelope and Tibetan sheep, both Hb and Ang II were correlated positively with respective mPAP. In Tibetan antelope, FT(3) level was correlated positively with GH and negatively with ACTH. These results suggest that the endocrine system of Tibetan antelope is characterized by low energy expenditure and high stress, which may be one of the mechanisms underlying the Tibetan antelope adaptation to chronic hypoxia.

Spatiotemporal phylogenetic analysis and molecular characterization of coxsackievirus A4

Coxsackievirus A4 outbreaks occurred in Taiwan in 2004 and 2006. The spatiotemporal transmission of this error-prone RNA virus involves a continuous interaction between rapid sequence variation and natural selection. To elucidate the molecular characteristics of CV-A4 and the spatiotemporal dynamic changes in CV-A4 transmission, worldwide sequences of the 3' VP1 region (420 nt) obtained from GenBank were analyzed together with sequences isolated in Taiwan from 2002 to 2009. Sequences were characterized in terms of recombination, variability, and selection. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using neighbor-joining, maximum likelihood and Monte Carlo Markov Chain methods. Spatiotemporal dynamics of CV-A4 transmission were further estimated by a Bayesian statistical inference framework. No recombination was detected in the 420 nt region. The estimated evolution rate of CV-A4 was 8.65 × 10(-3) substitutions/site/year, and a purifying selection (d(N)/d(S)=0.032) was noted over the 3' VP1 region. All trees had similar topology: two genotypes (GI and GII), each including two subgenotypes (A and B), with the prototype and a Kenyan strain in separate branches. The results revealed that the virus first appeared in USA in 1950. Since 1998, it has evolved into the Kenya, GI-A (Asia) and GII-A (Asia and Europe) strains. Since 2004, GI-B and GII-B have evolved continuously and have remained prevalent. The co-existence of several positive selection lineages of GI-B in 2006 indicates that the subgenotype might have survived lineage extinction. This study revealed rapid lineage turnover of CV-A4 and the replacement of previously circulating strains by a new dominant variant. Therefore, continuous surveillance for further CV-A4 transmission is essential.

Molecular epidemiology of Echovirus 30 in Taiwan, 1988-2008

To investigate the molecular epidemiology of Taiwanese Echovirus 30 (E-30) strains, we analyzed the 876 bp sequence of the VP1 gene from 32 Taiwanese strains isolated in 1988-2008, 498 reference sequences, and one Echovirus 21 strain as the out-group. Phylogenetic analysis detected six E-30 genotypes (designated GI-GVI) that had circulated globally during the past five decades. The genotypes varied widely in geographic distribution and circulation half-life. The GI, GII, and GV were ancient genotypes in which the first strains emerged in the 1950s. The GIII was a reemerging genotype, in which strains had first appeared in Colombia in 1995 before reemerging in the New Independent States (NIS) in 2003. The GIV, an emerging genotype that recently appeared in Asia in 2003, was closely related to the ancient genotypes. The GVI was the circulating genotype, which included eight clusters (A-H) that had circulated since 1967. No GVI-A, C, D, or E strains have been identified during the past 10 years. The GVI-B first appeared in China in 1984 and later in Russia and Asia in the 2000s. The GVI-F, G, and H strains, which comprised the prevalent clusters, had been dominant in Asia Pacific area, globally, and Europe, respectively. Taiwanese strains were classified into GVI-D (1988-1989), GVI-F (1993-2004), and GVI-G (1993-2008). The quiescence period of E-30 is longer in Taiwan (5-8 years) than in other countries (3-5 years).

Controllable oxygen vacancies to enhance resistive switching performance in a ZrO2-based RRAM with embedded Mo layer

In this study, the resistive switching characteristics of a ZrO(2)-based memory film with an embedded Mo layer are investigated. The experimental results show that the forming process can be removed by inserting an embedded Mo metal layer within ZrO(2) via a post-annealing process. The excellent memory performance, which includes lower operation voltage (<1.5 V), good endurance (>10(3) cycles), a stubborn nondestructive readout property (>10(4) s), and long retention time (>10(7) s), is also demonstrated. Moreover, high-speed operation (10 ns) can be successively maintained over 10(3) cycles without any operational errors observed in this memory device. Due to the interface layer induced by the Ti top electrode, the formation and rupture of conducting filaments are suggested to occur near the Ti/ZrO(2) interface. The oxygen vacancies induced by the embedded Mo can enhance the formation of conducting filaments and further improve the switching characteristics in ZrO(2)-based devices.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with device closure of atrial septal defect

Patients with coronary artery disease and atrial septal defect may have unique clinical characters. We describe an off-pump combined approach for intraoperative device closure of atrial septal defect during coronary artery bypass grafting.

Salmonella rarely detected in Mississippi coastal waters and sediment

AIMS

Standards for the rapid detection of individual pathogens from environmental samples have not been developed, but in their absence, the use of molecular-based detection methods coupled with traditional microbiology techniques allows for rapid and accurate pathogen detection from environmental waters and sediment. The aim of this research was to combine the use of enrichment with PCR for detection of Salmonella in Mississippi coastal waters and sediment and observe if that presence correlated with levels of enterococci and climatological variables.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Salmonella were primarily found in samples that underwent nutrient enrichment and were present more frequently in freshwater than marine waters. Salmonella were detected infrequently in marine and freshwater sediments. There was a significant positive correlation between the presence of detectable Salmonella and the average enterococcal count. An inverse relationship, however, was observed between the frequency of detection and the levels of salinity, turbidity and sunlight exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Results from this study indicated the presence of Salmonella in Mississippi coastal waters, and sediments are very low with significant differences between freshwater and marine environments.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Using pathogenic and novel nonpathogenic molecular markers, Salmonella do not appear to be a significant pathogenic genus along the Mississippi Coast.

[Inhibitor of apoptosis in lung cancer Livin perioperative clinical research]

AIM

To detect the inhibitor of apoptosis protein Livin in non-small cell lung cancer patients with perioperative serum levels were analyzed trends in perioperative period to explore the Livin in non-small cell lung cancer diagnosis, classification and prognosis of clinical significance.

METHODS

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of 40 patients with non-small cell lung cancer patients before surgery, the serum levels of Livin expression and 20 cases of normal healthy human serum levels of Livin were detected.

RESULTS

Non-small cell lung cancer patients was significantly higher than the level of serum Livin healthy control group. Before surgery (median 526.49 ng/L, quartile 357.93-825.57 ng/L), postoperative (median 286.49 ng/L, quartile 157.93-515.57 ng/L), there was significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).Livin the average level of serum with non-small cell lung cancer the relationship between pathology: I, II period (median 326.49 ng/L, quartile 201.54-623.19 ng/L) and stage III (median 586.31 ng/L, quartile 411.79-965.34 ng/L) statistically significant difference between (P<0.05); tumor lymph node metastasis in 11 cases (median 562.03 ng/L, quartile 382.64-982.61 ng/L) and the 29 cases without lymph node metastasis (median 344.59 ng/L, quartile 167.27-646.20 ng/L) significant difference between (P<0.05); organization credits of: high, medium, poorly differentiated among the three groups without significant differences (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Livin as a new inhibitor of apoptosis protein in non-small cell lung cancer diagnosis, staging has some clinical value.