Cellular localization of relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide expression in Asterias rubens: New insights into neurohormonal control of spawning in starfish.

Gamete maturation and spawning in starfish is triggered by a gonad-stimulating substance (GSS), which is present in extracts of the radial nerve cords. Purification of GSS from the starfish Patiria pectinifera identified GSS as a relaxin-like polypeptide, which is now known as relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide (RGP). Cells expressing RGP in the radial nerve cord of P.

Carcinoma of the cervix in elderly patients treated with radiotherapy: patterns of care and treatment outcomes.

Objective: The aim of this analysis was to examine the management of cervix cancer in elderly patients referred for radiotherapy and the results of treatment in terms of overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and treatment-related toxicities.

Methods: Patients were eligible if they were aged ≥75 years, newly diagnosed with cervix cancer and referred for radiotherapy as part of their treatment. Patient details were retrieved from the gynaecology service database where clinical, histopathological treatment and follow-up data were prospectively collected.

Gallic acid prevents isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through regulation of JNK2 signaling and Smad3 binding activity.

Gallic acid, a type of phenolic acid, has been shown to have beneficial effects in inflammation, vascular calcification, and metabolic diseases. The present study was aimed at determining the effect and regulatory mechanism of gallic acid in cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Cardiac hypertrophy was induced by isoproterenol (ISP) in mice and primary neonatal cardiomyocytes.

Clinical outcomes from an innovative protocol using serial ultrasound imaging and a single MR image to guide brachytherapy for locally advanced cervix cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report clinical outcomes in a series of patients who underwent serial ultrasound and a single MRI to plan and verify intracavitary brachytherapy.

Methods And Materials: Data for patients who were referred for curative intent radiotherapy for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage 1-1V cervix cancer between January 2007 and March 2012 were analyzed. All patients received external beam radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy and sequential high-dose rate brachytherapy.

Predictive factors for residual diplopia after surgical repair in pediatric patients with orbital blowout fracture.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical prognosis of diplopia and identify factors that are potentially predictive of residual diplopia postoperatively in pediatric patients with orbital blowout fracture.

Material And Methods: This was a retrospective study of clinical data from 135 children and adolescents less than 18 years of age who were diagnosed with orbital blowout fractures between January 2008 and June 2014 in the Department of Ophthalmology. A Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank statistics were used to identify the recovery status from diplopia.

Nanoscrews: Asymmetrical Etching of Silver Nanowires.

World's smallest screws with helical threads are synthesized via mild etching of Ag nanowires. With detailed characterization, we show that this nanostructure arises not from the transformation of the initial lattice, but the result of a unique etching mode. Three-dimensional printed models are used to illustrate the evolution of etch pits, from which a possible mechanism is postulated.

Histone deacetylase and GATA-binding factor 6 regulate arterial remodeling in angiotensin II-induced hypertension.

Objective: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been reported to improve essential and secondary hypertension. However, the specific HDAC that might serve as a therapeutic target and the associated upstream and downstream molecules involved in regulating hypertension remain unknown. Our study was aimed at investigating whether a selective inhibitor of class II HDAC (MC1568) modulates hypertension, elucidating the underlying mechanism.

Class I HDACs specifically regulate E-cadherin expression in human renal epithelial cells.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and renal fibrosis are closely involved in chronic kidney disease. Inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) has an anti-fibrotic effect in various diseases. However, the pathophysiological role of isoform-specific HDACs or class-selective HDACs in renal fibrosis remains unknown.

Efficacy and Safety of Direct Acting Antivirals in Kidney Transplant Recipients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

The prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is significantly higher in patients with end-stage renal disease compared to the general population and poses important clinical challenges in patients who undergo kidney transplantation. Historically, interferon-based treatment options have been limited by low rates of efficacy and significant side effects, including risk of precipitating rejection. Limited data exist on the use of all-oral, interferon-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies in kidney transplant recipients.

Phosphite-induced reactive oxygen species production and ethylene and ABA biosynthesis, mediate the control of Phytophthora capsici in pepper (Capsicum annuum).

Phytophthora capsici is an oomycete pathogen with a broad host range that inflicts significant damage in vegetables. Phosphite (Phi) is used to control oomycete diseases, but the molecular mechanisms underlying Phi-induced resistance to P. capsici are unknown.

PAUPAR lncRNA suppresses tumourigenesis by H3K4 demethylation in uveal melanoma.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumour in adults and has a high incidence. Nearly 50% of patients with UM develop metastases after diagnosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in both oncogenic and tumour suppression pathways.

Development of a bead-based suspension array for the detection of pathogens in acute respiratory tract infections.

We developed a high-throughput bead-based suspension array for simultaneous detection of 20 respiratory tract pathogens in clinical specimens. Pathogen-specific genes were amplified and hybridized to probes coupled to carboxyl-encoded microspheres. Fluorescence intensities generated via the binding of phycoerythrin-conjugated streptavidin with biotin-labeled targets were measured by the Luminex 100 bead-based suspension array system.

Enhancing Crystalline Structural Orders of Polymer Semiconductors for Efficient Charge Transport via Polymer-Matrix-Mediated Molecular Self-Assembly.

A facile polymer-matrix-mediated molecular self-assembly of polymer semiconductors into highly crystalline orders for efficient charge transport in organic thin-film transistors is demonstrated. Phenomenal enhancements in field-effect mobility of about one order of magnitude and current on/off ratio of two to three orders of magnitude are realized with polyacrylonitrile-incorporated polymer semiconductor compositions via solution deposition.

Huang Qi Huai Granules Induce Apoptosis in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells through the Akt/FoxO1 Pathway.

Background/aims: In recent years, a traditional Chinese medicine named Huang Qi Huai (HQH) has been frequently used in China for solid tumor therapy. However, the role of HQH on leukemia cells and its underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effect of HQH on the proliferation and apoptosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines.

Multicomponent (Ce, Cu, Ni) oxides with cage and core-shell structures: tunable fabrication and enhanced CO oxidation activity.

Solvothermal synthesis of Cu2O cubes from Cu(OAc)2 in ethanol provided templates for tunable formation of novel multicomponent composites: hollow CeO2-Cu2O (), core-shell NiO@Cu2O () and hollow CeO2-NiO-Cu2O (). Composites catalyze the oxidation of CO at a lower temperature than the parent Cu2O cubes.

Electrospun silk fibroin/poly(lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) nanofibrous scaffolds for bone regeneration.

Background: Tissue engineering has become a promising therapeutic approach for bone regeneration. Nanofibrous scaffolds have attracted great interest mainly due to their structural similarity to natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Poly(lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) has been successfully used in bone regeneration, but PLCL polymers are inert and lack natural cell recognition sites, and the surface of PLCL scaffold is hydrophobic.

Comparison of Talaromyces marneffei Infection in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-positive and Human Immunodeficiency Virus-negative Patients from Fujian, China.

Background: Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei (TM) is an emerging dimorphic human pathogenic fungus that is endemic to Southeast Asia. TM mostly occurs as an opportunistic infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The objective of this study was to compare the clinical and laboratory parameters of patients with TM infections who were HIV-positive and HIV-negative and to assess therapies and outcomes.

Solution-Processed Donor-Acceptor Polymer Nanowire Network Semiconductors For High-Performance Field-Effect Transistors.

Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) represent a low-cost transistor technology for creating next-generation large-area, flexible and ultra-low-cost electronics. Conjugated electron donor-acceptor (D-A) polymers have surfaced as ideal channel semiconductor candidates for OFETs. However, high-molecular weight (MW) D-A polymer semiconductors, which offer high field-effect mobility, generally suffer from processing complications due to limited solubility.

Real-Time Imaging of the Formation of Au-Ag Core-Shell Nanoparticles.

We study the overgrowth process of silver-on-gold nanocubes in dilute, aqueous silver nitrate solution in the presence of a reducing agent, ascorbic acid, using in situ liquid-cell electron microscopy. Au-Ag core-shell nanostructures were formed via two mechanistic pathways: (1) nuclei coalescence, where the Ag nanoparticles absorbed onto the Au nanocubes, and (2) monomer attachment, where the Ag atoms epitaxially deposited onto the Au nanocubes. Both pathways lead to the same Au-Ag core-shell nanostructures.

Validation of a phospholipase A2 receptor antibody ELISA in an Australian cohort with membranous glomerulonephritis.

A commercial PLA2R Ab ELISA was validated by examining its ability to distinguish primary from secondary membranous nephropathy, correlating results with clinical markers of disease activity, and comparing its performance with an indirect immunofluorescence test (IIFT). PLA2R Ab levels were measured in 77 patients with biopsy proven membranous nephropathy, divided into either idiopathic (n = 61) or secondary groups (n = 6). In the idiopathic group, measures of contemporaneous disease activity (proteinuria, serum creatinine) were compared between seropositive and seronegative subjects.

On-treatment HCV RNA in patients with varying degrees of fibrosis and cirrhosis in the SOLAR-1 trial.

Background: In the Phase II SOLAR-1 study, 12 or 24 weeks of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir and ribavirin yielded high sustained virological response rates at 12 weeks (SVR12) in patients with chronic HCV infection and advanced liver disease, including untransplanted patients with decompensated cirrhosis and liver transplant recipients with all stages of liver disease.

Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis using data from this study to investigate associations between baseline characteristics and early on-treatment HCV RNA, and to determine the utility of early virological response (week 2 and 4) to predict SVR12. Serum HCV RNA was quantified using the Roche COBAS Ampliprep/Cobas TaqMan HCV Test, Version 2.

A versatile sonication-assisted deposition-reduction method for preparing supported metal catalysts for catalytic applications.

This work aims to develop a rapid and efficient strategy for preparing supported metal catalysts for catalytic applications. The sonication-assisted reduction-precipitation method was employed to prepare the heterogeneous mono- and bi-metallic catalysts for photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) and preferential oxidation (PROX) of CO in H-rich gas. In general, there are three advantages for the sonication-assisted method as compared with the conventional methods, including high dispersion of metal nanoparticles on the catalyst support, the much higher deposition efficiency (DE) than those of the deposition-precipitation (DP) and co-precipitation (CP) methods, and the very fast preparation, which only lasts 10-20s for the deposition.

Identification of a novel starfish neuropeptide that acts as a muscle relaxant.

Neuropeptides that act as muscle relaxants have been identified in chordates and protostomian invertebrates but little is known about the molecular identity of neuropeptides that act as muscle relaxants in deuterostomian invertebrates (e.g. echinoderms) that are 'evolutionary intermediates' of chordates and protostomes.

SynCoPation: Interactive Synthesis-Coupled Sound Propagation.

Recent research in sound simulation has focused on either sound synthesis or sound propagation, and many standalone algorithms have been developed for each domain. We present a novel technique for coupling sound synthesis with sound propagation to automatically generate realistic aural content for virtual environments. Our approach can generate sounds from rigid-bodies based on the vibration modes and radiation coefficients represented by the single-point multipole expansion.