Transient outward potassium channel: a heart failure mediator.

Transient outward K(+) current (Ito) plays a crucial role in shaping the early phase of repolarization and setting the plateau voltage level of action potential. As a result, it extensively affects membrane current flow in the plateau window. A great body of evidence illustrates a transmural gradient of I to within ventricular wall with much higher density in epicardial than endocardial myocytes, which is important for the physiological ventricular repolarization.

Transcriptome analysis of sexually dimorphic Chinese white wax scale insects reveals key differences in developmental programs and transcription factor expression.

The Chinese white wax scale insect, Ericerus pela, represents one of the most dramatic examples of sexual dimorphism in any insect species. In this study, we showed that although E. pela males display complete metamorphosis similar to holometabolous insects, the species forms the sister group to Acyrthosiphon pisum and cluster with hemimetabolous insects.

Reduced expression of microRNA‑206 regulates cell proliferation via cyclinD2 in gliomas.

MicroRNAs are short single‑stranded non‑coding RNA molecules that function as regulators of tumor progression, including regulation of glioblastoma multiforme, which is a World Health Organization grade Ⅳ glioma. Based on the results of a microRNA microarray, which included 198 patients with glioma from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas data set, it was observed that microRNA‑206 (miR‑206) was downregulated in high-grade (grades Ⅲ and Ⅳ) gliomas compared with grade II gliomas. In addition, high expression of miR‑206 was associated with longer overall survival time in glioma patients.

Dry transfer of chemical-vapor-deposition-grown graphene onto liquid-sensitive surfaces for tunnel junction applications.

We report a dry transfer method that can tranfer chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene onto liquid-sensitive surfaces. The graphene grown on copper (Cu) foil substrate was first transferred onto a freestanding 4 μm thick sputtered Cu film using the conventional wet transfer process, followed by a dry transfer process onto the target surface using a polydimethylsiloxane stamp. The dry-transferred graphene has similar properties to traditional wet-transferred graphene, characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electrical transport measurements.

Interleukin-17 receptor a signaling in transformed enterocytes promotes early colorectal tumorigenesis.

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine linked to rapid malignant progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) and therapy resistance. IL-17A exerts its pro-tumorigenic activity through its type A receptor (IL-17RA). However, IL-17RA is expressed in many cell types, including hematopoietic, fibroblastoid, and epithelial cells, in the tumor microenvironment, and how IL-17RA engagement promotes colonic tumorigenesis is unknown.

Comparative enantiomer affinity pattern of β-blockers in aqueous and nonaqueous CE using single-component anionic cyclodextrins.

A series of eight chiral β-blocker drugs, acebutolol, atenolol, carazolol, carteolol, carvedilol, propranolol, sotalol, and talinolol, have been enantioseparated using two single-component anionic β-CD derivatives, namely heptakis (2,3-di-O-methyl-6-sulfo)-β-CD (HDMS-β-CD) and heptakis (2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-sulfo)-β-CD (HDAS-β-CD), in aqueous CE and NACE. The influence of the nature of substituents (methyl or acetyl) in positions 2 and 3 on the CD derivatives and of the electrophoretic medium (water or methanol) on the enantioselectivity and enantiomer affinity pattern (EAP) of these structurally related compounds was systematically studied. All eight β-blockers could be enantioseparated at least partially in the four CE systems, except sotalol with HDMS-β-CD in NACE.

[Prevalence of hypertension and relationship between hypertension and obesity in children and adolescents in Nanning of Guangxi Province].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of hypertension and the relationship between hypertension and obesity in children and adolescents aged 6-18 years in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.

Methods: A stratified cluster random sampling method was adopted in Nanning to select 7 893 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years as research subjects. Questionnaire surveys were conducted, and blood pressure, height, weight, and other indicators of growth and development were measured.

A new continuous cell line from Blaps rhynchoptera Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

The first continuous cell line from the neonate larval tissues of Blaps rhynchoptera, which has been used as a folk medicine in Yunnan Province, China, was established and designated RIRI-BR1. This cell line was serially subcultured in Schneider's medium supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The cells grew adherent to culture flasks and exhibited spindle-like and polygonal shapes.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension: a review in pharmacotherapy.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease that remains incurable. The past 2 decades have witnessed many advances in PAH-directed therapies. More recently, 3 new oral agents have become available in the United States within the past 2 years.

Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning protects lung against hyperoxic acute lung injury in rats via heme oxygenase-1 induction.

Hyperoxic acute lung injury (HALI) is a clinical syndrome as a result of prolonged supplement of high concentrations of oxygen. Previous studies have shown hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning (HBO-PC) had a protective effect on oxidative injury. In the present study, we investigated the effect of HBO-PC on HALI in rats.

Measuring spatial and temporal Ca2+ signals in Arabidopsis plants.

Developmental and environmental cues induce Ca(2+) fluctuations in plant cells. Stimulus-specific spatial-temporal Ca(2+) patterns are sensed by cellular Ca(2+) binding proteins that initiate Ca(2+) signaling cascades. However, we still know little about how stimulus specific Ca(2+) signals are generated.

The complete mitochondrial genome of a medicinal insect Martianus dermestoides (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae).

In this study, the complete mitogenome sequence of Martianus dermestoides (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) has been amplified and sequenced employing the long polymerase chain reaction method. The mitogenome, consisting of 15,434 base pairs (bp), had the typical invertebrate mitochondrial gene arrangement, including 13 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs genes and a noncoding control region (CR). The CR of 798 bp length is rather compact and located between srRNA and tRNA(iLe).

The endophytic bacterium, Sphingomonas SaMR12, improves the potential for zinc phytoremediation by its host, Sedum alfredii.

The endophytic bacterium, Sphingomonas SaMR12, isolated from Sedum alfredii Hance, appears to increase plant biomass and zinc-extraction from contaminated soil; however, the mechanism by which this occurs is not clear. Here, the ability of SaMR12 to promote zinc extraction and its effects on root morphology and exudation were examined in hydroponics. Zinc treatment increased shoot biomass by 30 to 45%, and by a further 10 to 19% when combined with SaMR12 inoculation.

Animal model of human disease with optic neuritis: neuropapillitis in a rat model infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

Human Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A. cantonensis) is a food-borne parasitic disease and can cause optic neuritis. Increasing clinical angiostrongyliasis cases with optic neuritis have been reported, but the pathogenesis has not been fully understood until now.

Improvement of cadmium uptake and accumulation in Sedum alfredii by endophytic bacteria Sphingomonas SaMR12: effects on plant growth and root exudates.

Inoculating endophytic bacteria was proven as a promising way to enhance phytoremediation. By a hydroponic experiment, the role of this study was to clarify the effects of inoculating endophytic bacterium Sphingomonas SaMR12 on phytoremediation, with special emphasis on changes of cadmium uptake, plant growth, root morphology, and organic acids secretion at different cadmium treated levels (0, 5, 50, and 100 μM). The results showed that SaMR12 inoculation improved the accumulation of cadmium as well as plant biomass, length of roots, number of root tips, and root surface area.

Construction of high efficiency non-doped deep blue emitters based on phenanthroimidazole: remarkable substitution effects on the excited state properties and device performance.

Aryl-substituted phenanthroimidazoles (APIs) are beneficial due to their facile synthesis, thermal properties, high quantum yields, and exciton efficiencies obtained by a reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) process. However, it is puzzling how to combine high quantum yields, exciton utilizing ratios and color purity with stable blue-emitting compounds via coupling. Here, BPPI and N-BPPI are utilized as model compounds for understanding C2- and N1-substitution effects via constructing dimers in each coupling position.

MicroRNA-320a suppresses in GBM patients and modulates glioma cell functions by targeting IGF-1R.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and malignant glioma. Currently, a few modern surgical and medical therapeutic strategies are applied for GBM, but the prognosis of GBM patients remains poor, and the average median survival time is only 14.6 months.

BCLAF1 and its splicing regulator SRSF10 regulate the tumorigenic potential of colon cancer cells.

Bcl-2-associated transcription factor 1 (BCLAF1) is known to be involved in multiple biological processes. Although several splice variants of BCLAF1 have been identified, little is known about how BCLAF1 splicing is regulated or the contribution of alternative splicing to its developmental functions. Here we find that inclusion of alternative exon5a was significantly increased in colorectal cancer (CRC) samples.

Drosophila heparan sulfate 3-O sulfotransferase B null mutant is viable and exhibits no defects in Notch signaling.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are critically involved in a variety of biological events. The functions of HSPGs are determined by the nature of the core proteins and modifications of heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains. The distinct O-sulfotransferases are important for nonrandom modifications at specific positions.

The pathogenesis of optic neuritis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in BALB/c mice.

Background: One of the most common causes of meningitis in South East Asia is angiostrongyliasis or infection by the parasitic nematode Angiostrongyliasis cantonensis. Although this nematode usually resides in the pulmonary arteries of rats, its incidental occurence in other hosts such as humans can cause optic neuritis and lead to serious vision sequelae. Nevertheless, there are currently no systematic studies conducted in this area.

[Effects of rapamycin on biological characteristics of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from patients with aplastic anemia].

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of rapamycin on biological function and autophagy of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) from patients with aplastic anemia so as to provide experimental basis for the clinical treatment of aplastic anemia (AA) with rapamycin. BM-MSC were treated with different concentrations of rapamycin (0, 10, 50, 100 nmol/L) for 48 h, the expression of LC3B protein was detected by Western blot to observe the effect of rapamycin on cell autophagy; cell apoptosis and cell cycles were detected by flow cytometry; the proliferation of BM-MSC of AA patients was measured by cell counting kit-8; the adipogenic differentiation of BM-MSC were tested by oil red O staining after adipogenic induction for 2 weeks; the adipogenic related genes (LPL, CFD, PPARγ) were detected by real-time PCR. The results showed that the proliferation and adipogenesis of BM-MSC of AA patients were inhibited by rapamycin.

[Biological characteristics of exosomes secreted by human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells].

This study was aimed to explore the immunoregulatory function and capability supporting the angiogenesis of exosomes secreted by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) from healthy persons. Supernatant of BMMSC (P4-P6) was collected for exosome purification. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Western blot were used to identify the quality of isolated exosomes.

4-Benzofuranyloxynicotinamide derivatives are novel potent and orally available TGR5 agonists.

A series of 4-benzofuranyloxynicotinamide derivatives were identified to be novel, potent, and orally available TGR5 agonists. Among them, compound 9r had the highest potency in vitro (hTGR5 EC50 = 0.28 nM, mTGR5 EC50 = 0.

Integrated analysis using methylation and gene expression microarrays reveals PDE4C as a prognostic biomarker in human glioma.

Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor promoters is generally accepted to indicate poor prognosis in glioma; however, the DNA methylation patterns associated with different glioma prognoses remain to be elucidated. In the present study, promoter methylation and gene expression microarrays were used to screen candidate genes between different grades of glioma. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan‑Meier (KM) method.

Liposome electrokinetic chromatography based in vitro model for early screening of the drug-induced phospholipidosis risk.

Drug-induced phospholipidosis (PLD) is a storage disorder of lysosomes characterized by the excessive accumulation of phospholipids as a result of improper medical treatments. Although few evidences have supported that PLD can induce significant pathological consequences, this potential toxicity indeed can put off the drug discovery process. In this research, a high-throughput liposome electrokinetic chromatography (LEKC) method was validated to evaluate the PLD risk of drug candidates by screening drug-phospholipid interaction, which correlates to the phospholipidosis inducing risk.