Tetrahedral DNA nanostructure-corbelled click chemistry-based large-scale assembly of nanozymes for ratiometric fluorescence assay of DNA methyltransferase activity.

Ligation efficiency in a surface-based DNA click chemistry (CuAAC) reaction is extremely restricted by the orientation and density of probes arranged on a heterogeneous surface. Herein, we engineer DNA tetrahedral nanostructure (DTN)-corbelled click chemistry to trigger a hybridization chain reaction (HCR) assembling a large-scale of nanozymes for ratiometric fluorescence detection of DNA adenine methyltransferase (Dam). In this study, a DNA tetrahedron structure with an alkynyl modifying pendant DNA probe (Alk-DTN) is designed and assembled on a magnetic bead (MB) as a scaffold for click chemistry.

Circ_072697 knockdown promotes advanced glycation end products-induced cell proliferation and migration in HaCaT cells via miR-3150a-3p/KDM2A axis.

Objective: Diabetes foot ulcer (DFU) is a serious complication of diabetes, which can lead to significant mortality and amputation rate. Our previous study found circ_072697 was highly expressed in DFU tissues, but the regulatory mechanism of circ_072697 in DFU remains unclear.

Methods: The relative expressions of circ_072697, miR-3150a-3p, and KDM2A in DFU patients or advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-treated HaCaT cells (used as DFU cell model) were determined by using qRT-PCR.

Application of surface-enhanced Raman scattering to qualitative and quantitative analysis of arsenic species.

Given the toxicity of arsenic, there is an urgent need for the development of efficient and reliable detection systems. Raman spectroscopy, a powerful tool for material characterization and analysis, can be used to explore the properties of a wide range of different materials. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) can detect low concentrations of chemicals.

Association of Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity and Ejection Duration with Target Organ Damage.

Background: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and ejection duration (ED) have different impacts on target organ damage (TOD). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of cfPWV and ED with TOD.

Methods: A total of 1254 patients (64.

Mapping Locus R and predicting candidate gene resistant to Soybean mosaic virus strain SC11 through linkage analysis combined with genome resequencing of the parents in soybean.

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) strain SC11 was prevalent in middle China. Its resistance was controlled by a Mendelian single dominant gene R in soybean Kefeng-1. This study aimed at mapping R and identifying its candidate gene.

Identification of potential circRNAs and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in the development of diabetic foot ulcers by integrated bioinformatics analysis.

We aimed to explore the mechanism of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and provide potential biomarkers for molecular therapy of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). Gene expression profile of GSE114248, including five normal samples and five DFU samples, was downloaded from GEO database. Differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) between two groups were identified.

The Optimized Calculation Method for Insulin Dosage in an Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT): A Randomized Parallel Control Study.

To explore the most suitable calculation method for insulin dosage in an insulin tolerance test (ITT) and to evaluate the clinical application value of the optimization coefficient (γ). In this study, 140 adult patients with congenital growth hormone deficiency (GHD) or acquired hypopituitarism were randomized into the following two groups: the conventional group ( = 70) and the optimized group ( = 70). Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs), insulin release tests (IRTs), and ITTs were conducted.

Superhydrophobic Polytetrafluoroethylene/Heat-Shrinkable Polyvinyl Chloride Composite Film with Super Anti-Icing Property.

Wind power generation is an environmentally friendly way to produce electricity, but wind turbine blades that are prone to freeze in winter will reduce the efficiency of the generator. Therefore, the preparation of anti-icing blades is important and essential. Herein, anti-icing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/heat-shrinkable polyvinyl chloride (HSPVC) composite film was prepared by depositing a PTFE coating on the surface of HSPVC film via vacuum thermal evaporation.

17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 deficiency: Three case reports and a systematic review.

17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive cause of 46, XY disorders of sex development resulting from HSD17B3 gene mutations, however, no case has been reported in East Asia. The aim of this study was to report three Chinese 46, XY females with 17β-HSD3 deficiency in a single center and perform a systematic review of the literature. Clinical examination, endocrine evaluation and HSD17B3 gene sequencing were performed in the three Chinese phenotypically females (two sisters and one unrelated patient).

SNP-SNP Interaction Analysis on Soybean Oil Content under Multi-Environments.

Soybean oil content is one of main quality traits. In this study, we used the multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method and a soybean high-density genetic map including 5,308 markers to identify stable single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-SNP interactions controlling oil content in soybean across 23 environments. In total, 36,442,756 SNP-SNP interaction pairs were detected, 1865 of all interaction pairs associated with soybean oil content were identified under multiple environments by the Bonferroni correction with p <3.

Both interleukin-23A polymorphism and serum interlukin-23 expression are associated with Graves' disease risk.

Two independent Chinese cohorts were used to study the genetic association between the interleukin-23A (IL-23A) gene polymorphism (rs11171806) and susceptibility to Graves' disease (GD). The initial Shanghai cohort consisted of 712 unrelated patients with GD and 705 healthy control subjects, and the replication cohort from Xiamen Island included 433 patients with GD and 410 healthy control subjects. The serum concentration of IL-23 in GD patients was measured significantly higher than in health controls.

Sustained ibuprofen release using composite poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/titanium dioxide nanotubes from Ti implant surface.

Developing coatings on implant surface as drug carriers can reduce organ toxicity and effectively deliver drug locally to the target compared with the oral approach. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube has great potential for this application for widely used Ti implants because of its high surface area, ability to promote bone growth, and biocompatibility. However, there are two issues needed to be solved before further advancing TiO2 nanotubes technology as drug carriers: uncontrolled drug release and poor mechanical properties.

Association studies of interleukin-8 gene in Graves' disease and Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune disorder, and the most common extrathyroidal manifestation is Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO), which is believed to be caused by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Many studies have reported that interleukin-8 (IL-8), a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine, is associated with many autoimmune diseases and could increase the degree of lymphocyte infiltration within the thyroid gland. The aim of the present study is to elucidate whether IL-8 is associated with the development of GD and GO.

High frequency of down-regulation of E-cadherin detected in benign sporadic insulinomas by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification.

Insulinomas are the most common functioning pancreatic endocrine tumors, and the previous studies showed that the chromosomal aberrations of Chr.9q, 11q, and 22q were associated with the development and progression of insulinoma. To analyze the genetic alterations in sporadic insulinoma, we tested 23 tumor samples using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification.

Clinical and genetic analysis for four Chinese families with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex, genetic, multisystem disorder. Its major clinical features include neonatal hypotonia and failure to thrive, mental retardation, hypogonadism, short hands and feet, hyperphagia-caused obesity, and characteristic appearance. The genetic basis of PWS is also complex.

The novel compound heterozygous mutations, V434del and W666X, in WFS1 gene causing the Wolfram syndrome in a Chinese family.

Wolfram syndrome (WFS), also known as DIDMOAD, is an infrequent cause of diabetes mellitus. WFS is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease characterized by various clinical manifestations such as diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, diabetes insipidus, deafness, neurological symptoms, renal tract abnormalities, psychiatric disorders, and gonadal disorders. The majority of patients with WFS carry the loss of function mutations in the WFS1 gene.

Silver microflowers and large spherical particles: Controlled preparation and their wetting properties.

In this article, we report a simple wet-chemical method to prepare silver microflowers and large spherical particles. The formation of the two different microstructures of silver is based on the reduction of AgNO(3) by para-phenylenediamine in aqueous medium at room temperature. The controlling of the silver microstructures can be achieved only by adjusting the concentration of the reactants.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering based on silver dendrites substrate.

A simple method of the reduction of AgNO3 by copper foil in aqueous medium was used to prepare silver dendrites, which can be used as a novel good reproducible surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrate. The SERS spectra of 4-pyridinethiol on this novel substrate reflected the different SERS activities on the minuteness and strong Ag dendrites. The electromagnetic coupling enhancement and chemical enhancement mechanisms are used to explain the SERS effect.

A simple method to synthesize triangular silver nanoparticles by light irradiation.

We describe a simple method to synthesize triangular silver nanoparticles by photoreducing the silver ions by citrate. A noteworthy difference of the present method as compared with the previous photo-induced methods is that good shape control over the nanoparticles can be realized in the absence of soft templates or polymer directing agents. The formation process of the silver nanoparticles was investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Optical properties of Ag/CdTe nanocomposite self-organized by electrostatic interaction.

Ag/CdTe nanocomposite was prepared via self-organization process by electrostatic interaction between positively charged CdTe quantum dots and negatively charged Ag nanoparticles and examined with respect to their optical properties. The positively charged CdTe quantum dots and negatively charged Ag nanoparticles were synthesized separately by modifying nanoparticles surface with cationic and anionic thiol compounds, respectively. The result showed that the mixing ratio of Ag nanoparticles to CdTe quantum dots is an important parameter for controlling resulting composites.

Surface-enhanced Raman activity and stability study of silver films prepared by reduction of Ag+ ions in N,N-dimethylformamide.

A new SERS-active silver film prepared by directly depositing silver nanoparticles on glass is reported. The spontaneous reduction of Ag+ ions in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) (in the absence of a protecting agent) leads to the deposition of silver nanoparticles on clean glass surfaces in contact with the solution. The observed optical micrographs and AFM images show that the arrangement of the nanoparticles is inhomogeneous and the particles appear to be closely packed.

Self-assembled metal colloid films: two approaches for preparing new SERS active substrates.

In this paper, we propose two new approaches for preparing active substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In the first approach (method 1), one transfers AgI nanoparticles capped by negatively charged mercaptoacetic acid from a AgI colloid solution onto a quartz slide and then deoxidizes AgI to Ag nanoparticles on the substrate. The second approach (method 2) deoxidizes AgI to Ag nanoparticles in a colloid solution and then transfers the Ag nanoparticles capped by negatively charged mercaptoacetic acid onto a quartz slide.

Formation and stability of rare earth metalloporphyrin monolayer films on amino-terminated silanized quartz surfaces studied by ultraviolet-visible and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

We investigated the fabrication of self-assembled monolayers of 5,10,15,20-tetra-(p-chlorophenyl)-porphyrin metal hydroxyl compounds (MOH; M=Gd, Tb, Er, Lu) on amino-terminated silanized quartz surfaces using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The orientation of MOH molecules in the films, the kinetics of the adsorption of MOH from a chloroform solution on an amino-terminated quartz substrate, and the stability of the metalloporphyrin films under natural light, UV light, and acidic and basic conditions were studied by UV-vis spectroscopy. The results indicate that the central metal is crucial in the formation of self-assembled porphyrin films and that the stability of the MOH SAMs also depends on the central metal.

Ultraviolet-visible and surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy studies on self-assembled metalloporphyrin films on organic monolayer-modified ultra-thin silver substrates.

A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) film of 5,10,15,20-tetra-(para-chlorophenyl)-porphyrin terbium (or lutetium) hydroxy compound (TbOH/LuOH) fabricated on a silver substrate premodified with a SAM of 4-mercaptopyridine (PySH) was studied by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. PySH can modify the substrate and deliver its pyridyl group pointing out from the silver surface. Thus, we can investigate the effects of the central metals of the metalloporphyrins in the formation of the composite films.

Novel method for preparing controllable and stable silver particle films for surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy.

A new surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrate has been developed based on our previous study. Small silver nanoparticles on a quartz slide can be enlarged by using a mixture of commercially available reagents called Silver Enhancer and Initiator. The optical properties and characteristics of the new substrate have been investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM).