Complete mitochondrial genome of the Chinese Hwamei Garrulax canorus (Aves: Passeriformes): the first representative of the Leiothrichidae family with a duplicated control region.

The Chinese Hwamei Garrulax canorus, a member of the family Leiothrichidae, is commonly found in central and southern China, northern Indochina, and on Hainan Island. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of G. canorus.

Characterization and Immunological Evaluation of Low-Molecular- Weight Alginate Derivatives.

Alginate is a naturally occurring acidic linear polysaccharide obtained from marine brown seaweed. Low molecular weight structurally diverse derivatives and oligosaccharides derived from alginate have shown various tremendous biological and pharmacological activities. It has been demonstrated that immuno-inflammation is involved in many prevalent human diseases, such as cancer, severe infection and neurodegeneration.

The Mitochondrial Genomes of Aquila fasciata and Buteo lagopus (Aves, Accipitriformes): Sequence, Structure and Phylogenetic Analyses.

The family Accipitridae is one of the largest groups of non-passerine birds, including 68 genera and 243 species globally distributed. In the present study, we determined the complete mitochondrial sequences of two species of accipitrid, namely Aquila fasciata and Buteo lagopus, and conducted a comparative mitogenome analysis across the family. The mitogenome length of A.

Effect of Cnidium Lactone on Serum Mutant P53 and BCL-2/BAX Expression in Human Prostate Cancer Cells PC-3 Tumor-Bearing BALB/C Nude Mouse Model.

Background: Cnidium lactone is a natural coumarin compound that can inhibit a variety of cancer cell proliferation and induce cancer cell apoptosis. This experiment investigated the effect of cnidium lactone on molecular marker expression in prostate cancer nude mice to study its effect in inducing apoptosis.

Material And Methods: We randomly and equally divided 30 male BALB/C nude mice inoculated with human prostate cancer cells PC-3 into a negative control group, a cyclophosphamide group (500 mg/Kg), and cnidium lactone groups at 3 doses (280 mg/Kg, 140 mg/Kg, and 70 mg/Kg).

The removal of chromium (VI) and lead (II) from groundwater using sepiolite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (S-NZVI).

In this study, the synthesis and characterization of sepiolite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron particles (S-NZVI) was investigated for the adsorption/reduction of Cr(VI) and Pb(II) ions. Nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) supported on sepiolite was successfully used to remove Cr(VI) and Pb(II) from groundwater with high efficiency. The removal mechanism was proposed as a two-step interaction including both the physical adsorption of Cr(VI) and Pb(II) on the surface or inner layers of the sepiolite-supported NZVI particles and the subsequent reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and Pb(II) to Pb(0) by NZVI.

Unjamming and cell shape in the asthmatic airway epithelium.

From coffee beans flowing in a chute to cells remodelling in a living tissue, a wide variety of close-packed collective systems-both inert and living-have the potential to jam. The collective can sometimes flow like a fluid or jam and rigidify like a solid. The unjammed-to-jammed transition remains poorly understood, however, and structural properties characterizing these phases remain unknown.

The Cipher Code of Simple Sequence Repeats in "Vampire Pathogens".

Blood inside mammals is a forbidden area for the majority of prokaryotic microbes; however, red blood cells tropism microbes, like "vampire pathogens" (VP), succeed in matching scarce nutrients and surviving strong immunity reactions. Here, we found VP of Mycoplasma, Rhizobiales, and Rickettsiales showed significantly higher counts of (AG)n dimeric simple sequence repeats (Di-SSRs) in the genomes, coding and non-coding regions than non Vampire Pathogens (N_VP). Regression analysis indicated a significant correlation between GC content and the span of (AG)n-Di-SSR variation.

Haemophilus parasuis infection activates chemokine RANTES in PK-15 cells.

RANTES is a member of the CC chemokine involved in inflammation and immune response during pathogen infection. In our previous study, Haemophilus parasuis (H. parasuis), which is responsible for the great economic losses in the pig industry worldwide, has been shown to enhance RANTES expression in PK-15 cells.

Mapping the resistance-associated mobilome of a carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strain reveals insights into factors shaping these regions and facilitates generation of a 'resistance-disarmed' model organism.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the landscape of the mobile genome, with a focus on antibiotic resistance-associated factors in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Methods: The mobile genome of the completely sequenced K. pneumoniae HS11286 strain (an ST11, carbapenem-resistant, near-pan-resistant, clinical isolate) was annotated in fine detail.

Invasive Epithelioid Angiomyolipoma with Tumor Thrombus in the Inferior Vena Cava: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is a benign tumor. However, rare cases of renal AML demonstrate aggressive behaviors such as tumor thrombus extension into the inferior vena cava (IVC). We successfully treated a case of epithelioid AML in the right kidney involving the IVC.

Nephroblastoma overexpressed gene (NOV) enhances RCC cell motility through upregulation of ICAM-1 and COX-2 expression via Akt pathway.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) carries a high risk of malignancy and metastasis. The inducible isoform of prostaglandin synthase, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and ICAM-1 may be involved in tumor metastasis. CCN3, also called nephroblastoma overexpressed gene (NOV), has been found to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of cancer cells.

Gene expression patterns combined with network analysis identify hub genes associated with bladder cancer.

Objectives: To explore molecular mechanisms of bladder cancer (BC), network strategy was used to find biomarkers for early detection and diagnosis.

Methods: The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between bladder carcinoma patients and normal subjects were screened using empirical Bayes method of the linear models for microarray data package. Co-expression networks were constructed by differentially co-expressed genes and links.

Staphylococcus epidermidis Bacteremia Induces Brain Injury in Neonatal Mice via Toll-like Receptor 2-Dependent and -Independent Pathways.

Background: Staphylococcus epidermidis causes late-onset sepsis in preterm infants. Staphylococcus epidermidis activates host responses in part via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Epidemiologic studies link bacteremia and neonatal brain injury, but direct evidence is lacking.

Morphological and proteomic analyses reveal that unsaturated guluronate oligosaccharide modulates multiple functional pathways in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells.

Alginate is a natural polysaccharide extracted from various species of marine brown algae. Alginate-derived guluronate oligosaccharide (GOS) obtained by enzymatic depolymerization has various pharmacological functions. Previous studies have demonstrated that GOS can trigger the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)/nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α by macrophages and that it is involved in the nuclear factor (NF)-κB and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathways.

Comparison of neonatal outcomes in macrosomic infants of diabetic and non-diabetic mothers.

Objective: To compare the neonatal outcomes in macrosomic term infants of diabetic mothers and non-diabetic mothers.

Methods: This is a retrospective survey of all live-born term singletons with a birth weight ≥4000 g, admitted at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between 2010 and 2013. Data collected for the mothers included age, parity, gestational age, method of glycemic control and mode of delivery.

Clinical risk factors for anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic anterior resection for rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a serious complication in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery, and risk factors for AL are not well defined. Herein, we conducted a systematic review to quantify the clinicopathologic factors predictive for AL in patients who underwent laparoscopic anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer.

Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus Database, and Wanfang Database) for studies published until August 2014 was performed.

Haemophilus parasuis induces activation of NF-κB and MAP kinase signaling pathways mediated by toll-like receptors.

Glässer's disease in pigs caused by Haemophilus parasuis is characterized by a severe membrane inflammation. In our previous study, we have identified activation of the transcription factor NF-κB after H. parasuis infection of porcine epithelial cells.

[Molecular regulations of phosphatidylserine eversion in plasma membrane].

Phosphatidylserine (PS), one important phospholipid of cell membranes, has crucial biological functions. Under special pathological circumstances such as cell apoptosis, cells cannot generate enough ATP for energy and the concentration of cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ increases, resulting in PS eversion. PS eversion has different biological functions in different cell types.

Draft Genome Sequence of Listeria monocytogenes LM201, Isolated from Foodstuff.

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular foodborne pathogen that can cause listeriosis in humans and animals. L. monocytogenes LM201 was isolated from foodstuff.

Characteristics of a cluster-randomized phase IV human papillomavirus vaccination effectiveness trial.

High-risk human papillomaviruses (hrHPV) cause anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. HPV-16/18 virus-like particle vaccine formulated with an AS04 adjuvant is very efficacious against hrHPV associated precancers but the herd effects of different vaccination scenarios are not known. Our cluster randomized trial (NCT00534638) assesses the overall and herd effects of vaccinating girls vs.

The pulmonary histopathology of anti-KS transfer RNA synthetase syndrome.

Context: The clinical spectrum of the antisynthetase syndromes (AS) has been poorly defined, although some frequently present with pulmonary manifestations. The anti-KS anti-asparaginyl-transfer RNA synthetase syndrome is one in which pulmonary interstitial lung disease is almost always present and yet the histopathologic spectrum is not well described.

Objective: To define the morphologic manifestations of pulmonary disease in those patients with anti-KS antiasparaginyl syndrome.

Enhanced dewaterability of waste-activated sludge by combined cationic polyacrylamide and magnetic field pretreatment.

The potential function of combining magnetic field (MF) pretreatment with cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) additive on enhancing the dewaterability of waste-activated sludge was investigated in the present work. Two reactors were involved in a specially designed experimental apparatus, one of which was built with MF accessories. Several parameters were conducted, including CPAM dosages, MF strengths and processing times, respectively.

The effect of osteopontin and osteopontin-derived peptides on preterm brain injury.

Background: Osteopontin (OPN) is a highly phosphorylated sialoprotein and a soluble cytokine that is widely expressed in a variety of tissues, including the brain. OPN and OPN-derived peptides have been suggested to have potential neuroprotective effects against ischemic brain injury, but their role in preterm brain injury is unknown.

Methods: We used a hypoxia-ischemia (HI)-induced preterm brain injury model in postnatal day 5 mice.

Molecular characterization and functional analysis of duck TRAF6.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) plays a pivotal role in activating various signaling cascades as an intracellular signal transducer. Although significant progress has been made clarifying TRAF6 function in mammals, the role of TRAF6 in ducks (duTRAF6) remains poorly understood. In the present study, we cloned the full-length duTRAF6 cDNA from duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs) for the first time.