Anticoagulant sodium alginate sulfates and their mussel-inspired heparin-mimetic coatings.

In this work, we synthesized novel sodium alginate sulfates (SASs) with different sulfation degrees, which had similar chemical structure and bioactivity as those of heparin. Blood clotting time tests indicated that the heparin-mimetic SASs exhibited excellent and sulfation-degree-dependent anticoagulant activity. Beyond applications as anticoagulant reagents, the heparin-mimetics also showed potential applications for surface modification of blood-contacting devices.

A Plasmonic Temperature-Sensing Structure Based on Dual Laterally Side-Coupled Hexagonal Cavities.

A plasmonic temperature-sensing structure, based on a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide with dual side-coupled hexagonal cavities, is proposed and numerically investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method in this paper. The numerical simulation results show that a resonance dip appears in the transmission spectrum. Moreover, the full width of half maximum (FWHM) of the resonance dip can be narrowed down, and the extinction ratio can reach a maximum value by tuning the coupling distance between the waveguide and two cavities.

Monitoring microstructural variations of fresh skeletal muscle tissues by Mueller matrix imaging.

Recently many attempts have been made for extracting the structural information of myofibrils as indicators for diseases of skeletal muscle. In this paper we adopt wide-field illumination and take the backscattering Mueller matrix images of bovine skeletal muscle tissues during the 24-hour experimental time after the animal's death. The 2D images of Mueller matrix elements and their frequency distribution histograms (FDHs) reveal rich qualitative information on the changes in the microstructures of the skeletal muscle.

Division of focal plane polarimeter-based 3 × 4 Mueller matrix microscope: a potential tool for quick diagnosis of human carcinoma tissues.

A polarization microscope is a useful tool to reveal the optical anisotropic nature of a specimen and can provide abundant microstructural information about samples. We present a division of focal plane (DoFP) polarimeter-based polarization microscope capable of simultaneously measuring both the Stokes vector and the 3×4 Mueller matrix with an optimal polarization illumination scheme. The Mueller matrix images of unstained human carcinoma tissue slices show that the m24 and m34 elements can provide important information for pathological observations.

[Effects of vegetable residue compost returning to soil on soil properties and vegetable yield in solar greenhouse.].

In order to explore reasonable utilization of vegetable residue, the effects of application of different levels (0, 15, 20, 30 t·hm) of tomato and cucumber residue compost on soil pro-perties, the leaf photosynthesis and the yield of vegetables were studied in solar greenhouse. The results showed that both kinds of vegetable compost could reduce soil bulk density, increase soil organic matter content, soil microbial biomass and soil enzyme activity, promote plant growth, and improve vegetable yield and quality. The more amount compost returned, the better was the effect on plant growth and yield.

Mussel-inspired coatings on Ag nanoparticle-conjugated carbon nanotubes: bactericidal activity and mammal cell toxicity.

Silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-based nanohybrids have been proposed as efficient antimicrobial agents because of their robust bactericidal activity. However, the direct exposure of AgNPs poses a threat towards mammalian cells. In this article, we report a facile mussel-inspired approach to introduce functional biopolymer coatings to shield AgNP-loaded oxidized carbon nanotubes (AgNPs@oCNT), as well as to modify the interface properties.

Mueller matrix microscope: a quantitative tool to facilitate detections and fibrosis scorings of liver cirrhosis and cancer tissues.

Today the increasing cancer incidence rate is becoming one of the biggest threats to human health.Among all types of cancers, liver cancer ranks in the top five in both frequency and mortality rate all over the world. During the development of liver cancer, fibrosis often evolves as part of a healing process in response to liver damage, resulting in cirrhosis of liver tissues.

[TLR2 blockade reduces TNF-α expression induced by β2GP1/anti-β2GP1 complex in mouse peritoneal macrophages].

Objective: To investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in β2-glycoprotein 1/anti-β2-glycoprotein 1 (β2GP1/anti-β2GP1)-mediated tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) expression in mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Methods: The peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice were treated with β2GP1/anti-β2GP1 complex, agonist of TLR2 (Pam3CSK4) and agonist of TLR4 [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)], inhibitor of TLR2 [monoclonal IgG to mouse TLR2 (anti-mTLR2-IgG)] and inhibitor of TLR4 (TAK-242) in vitro. The mRNA level of TNF-α in the peritoneal macrophages was tested by real-time quantitative PCR, the protein expression of TNF-α was detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence cytochemistry, and the expression of TLR2 on the surface of the peritoneal macrophages was assessed by flow cytometry.

Multiscale characteristics dynamics of hydrochar from hydrothermal conversion of sewage sludge under sub- and near-critical water.

Dewatered sewage sludge was upgraded to hydrochar using hydrothermal conversion in sub- and near-critical water. Three characteristic temperature regimes responsible for the upgrading were identified. Drastic hydrolysis of carbohydrates, amide II or secondary amines occurred at 200°C while noticeable decarboxylation initiated above 260°C.

The Metabolic Prospective and Redox Regulation of Macrophage Polarization.

Macrophage plasticity is an important feature of these innate immune cells. Macrophage phenotypes are divided into two categories, the classically activated macrophages (CAM, M1 phenotype) and the alternatively activated macrophages (AAM, M2 phenotype). M1 macrophages are commonly associated with the generation of proinflammatory cytokines, whereas M2 macrophages are anti-inflammatory and often associated with tumor progression and fibrosis development.

The effect of Toll-like receptor 4 on β2-glycoprotein I-induced B cell activation in mouse model.

Our previous study demonstrated that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays a vital role in the maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) from the mice immunized with human β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI). However, the roles of TLR4 in the activation of B cells and production of anti-β2GPI antibodies in vivo have been rarely studied. This study aimed to investigate the activation of B cells from TLR4-defective (C3H/HeJ) and TLR4-intact (C3H/HeN) mice pre-immunized with human β2GPI.

A Comparative Study of Surgical Splenectomy, Partial Splenic Embolization, and High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Hypersplenism.

Objectives: This study compared splenectomy, partial splenic embolization, and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, which represent the traditional, mature, and newest methods for improving thrombocytopenia in hypersplenism, respectively.

Methods: A total of 69 patients with hypersplenism were treated with surgical splenectomy (n = 31), HIFU (n = 26), or partial splenic embolization (n = 12). They were followed closely for at least 6 months, and the effectiveness of the treatments was compared.

Comparison of whole-body PET/PET-CT and conventional imaging procedures for distant metastasis staging in patients with breast cancer: a meta-analysis.

Aim: To compare the performance of whole-body PET/PET-CT with that of conventional imaging procedures for the overall assessment of distant metastasis in patients with breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: The authors performed a meta-analysis of all available studies of whole-body PET/PET-CT compared with conventional imaging procedures. They calculated sensitivities, specificities, positive likelihood ratios, negative likelihood ratios, and constructed summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves using bivariate regression models for whole-body PET/PET-CT and conventional imaging procedures, respectively.

Construction of microgels embedded robust ultrafiltration membranes for highly effective bioadhesion resistance.

Effective and robust anti-bioadhesion ultrafiltration membranes were fabricated in this paper via physically blending of anti-bioadhesion microgels. The microgels were synthesized by one-step cross-linking of antifouling segment, poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA), and electrostatic repulsion segment, methylacrylic acid (MAA). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicated that large amounts of PEGMA and MAA polymers had been enriched on the membranes surface.

Development of a New Technique for Reconstruction of Hepatic Artery during Liver Transplantation in Sprague-Dawley Rat.

Background: Sleeve anastomosis is the most common technique used to rearterialize orthotopic liver transplants (OLT). However, this technique has a number of disadvantages, including difficulty of performance of the technique visually unaided. We herein describe a novel rearterialized OLT model in the rat.

BCL11A expression in acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: BCL11A encodes a C2H2 type zinc-finger protein. During normal haematopoietic cell differentiation BCL11A expression is down-regulated. Data in mice suggest up-regulation of BCL11A is involved in the pathogenesis of myeloid leukaemias.

Cu,Zn-Superoxide Dismutase-Mediated Redox Regulation of Jumonji Domain Containing 3 Modulates Macrophage Polarization and Pulmonary Fibrosis.

M2 macrophages are implicated in the development of pulmonary fibrosis as they generate profibrotic signals. The polarization process, at least in part, is regulated by epigenetic modulation. Because Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase-induced H2O2 can polarize macrophages to a profibrotic M2 phenotype, we hypothesized that modulation of the redox state of the cell is involved in the epigenetic modulation of the macrophage phenotype.

[Pathogen Characteristics of Catheter-related Bloodstream Infection].

Objective: To determine thepathogen characteristics of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI).

Methods: The clinical data of patients with CRBSI who were admitted in West China Hospital, Sichuan University during January 1, 2011 and October 15, 2014 were retrieved, along with findings of pathogen culture and drug susceptibility tests.

Results: Eighty-four strains of pathogens were isolated from 77 patients, which included 41 strains (48.

Enhanced or Weakened Western North Pacific Subtropical High under Global Warming?

The Western North Pacific Subtropical High (WNPSH) regulates East Asian climate in summer. Anomalous WNPSH causes floods, droughts and heat waves in China, Japan and Korea. The potential change of the WNPSH under global warming is concerned by Asian people, but whether the WNPSH would be enhanced or weakened remains inconclusive.

Substrate-Independent Robust and Heparin-Mimetic Hydrogel Thin Film Coating via Combined LbL Self-Assembly and Mussel-Inspired Post-Cross-linking.

In this work, we designed a robust and heparin-mimetic hydrogel thin film coating via combined layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly and mussel-inspired post-cross-linking. Dopamine-grafted heparin-like/-mimetic polymers (DA-g-HepLP) with abundant carboxylic and sulfonic groups were synthesized by the conjugation of adhesive molecule, DA, which exhibited substrate-independent adhesive affinity to various solid surfaces because of the formation of irreversible covalent bonds. The hydrogel thin film coated substrates were prepared by a three-step reaction: First, the substrates were coated with DA-g-HepLP to generate negatively charged surfaces.

Quantitatively differentiating microstructures of tissues by frequency distributions of Mueller matrix images.

We present a new way to extract characteristic features of the Mueller matrix images based on their frequency distributions and the central moments. We take the backscattering Mueller matrices of tissues with distinctive microstructures, and then analyze the frequency distribution histograms (FDHs) of all the matrix elements. For anisotropic skeletal muscle and isotropic liver tissues, we find that the shapes of the FDHs and their central moment parameters, i.

Structural insights on mouse L-threonine dehydrogenase: A regulatory role of Arg180 in catalysis.

Mouse L-threonine dehydrogenase (mTDH), which belongs to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily and mediates threonine catabolism, plays pivotal roles in both powerful biosynthesis and signaling in mouse stem cells and has a regulatory residue Arg180. Here we determined three crystal structures of mTDH: wild-type (WT) in the apo form; in complex with NAD(+) and a substrate analog, glycerol, or with only NAD(+); as well as the R180K variant with NAD(+). This is the first description of a structure for mammalian SDR-type TDH.

Anisotropic thermoelectric properties of layered compounds in SnX2 (X = S, Se): a promising thermoelectric material.

Thermoelectrics interconvert heat to electricity and are of great interest in waste heat recovery, solid-state cooling and so on. Here we assessed the potential of SnS2 and SnSe2 as thermoelectric materials at the temperature gradient from 300 to 800 K. Reflecting the crystal structure, the transport coefficients are highly anisotropic between a and c directions, in particular for the electrical conductivity.

Short-term sleep deprivation disrupts the molecular composition of ionotropic glutamate receptors in entorhinal cortex and impairs the rat spatial reference memory.

Numerous studies reported that sleep deprivation (SD) causes impairment in spatial cognitive performance. However, the molecular mechanisms affected by SD underlying this behavioral phenomenon remain elusive. Here, we focused on the entorhinal cortex (EC), the gateway of the hippocampus, and investigated how SD affected the subunit expression of AMPARs and NMDARs, the main ionotropic glutamategic receptors serving a pivotal role in spatial cognition.

Suppressor of Ty homolog-5, a novel tumor-specific human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter-binding protein and activator in colon cancer cells.

The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter promotes differential hTERT gene expression in tumor cells and normal cells. However, information on the mechanisms underlying the differential hTERT transcription and induction of telomerase activity in tumor cells is limited. In the present study, suppressor of Ty homolog-5 (SPT5), a protein encoded by the SUPT5H gene, was identified as a novel tumor-specific hTERT promoter-binding protein and activator in colon cancer cells.