LRP6 Knockdown Ameliorates Insulin Resistance via Modulation of Autophagy by Regulating GSK3β Signaling in Human LO2 Hepatocytes.

Recent studies suggest that autophagy is highly involved in insulin resistance (IR). Inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway induces autophagy activation. Additionally, depletion of LRP6 has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity but its mechanism is still not clear.

Monotherapy with a low-dose lipopeptide HIV fusion inhibitor maintains long-term viral suppression in rhesus macaques.

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) dramatically improves survival of HIV-infected patients, but lifelong treatment can ultimately result in cumulative toxicities and drug resistance, thus necessitating the development of new drugs with significantly improved pharmaceutical profiles. We recently found that the fusion inhibitor T-20 (enfuvirtide)-based lipopeptides possess dramatically increased anti-HIV activity. Herein, a group of novel lipopeptides were designed with different lengths of fatty acids, identifying a stearic acid-modified lipopeptide (LP-80) with the most potent anti-HIV activity.

THZ1 reveals CDK7-dependent transcriptional addictions in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy with high mortality. Lack of effective treatment makes novel therapeutic discovery an urgent demand in PDAC research. By screening an epigenetic-related compound library, we identified THZ1, a covalent inhibitor of CDK7, as a promising candidate.

Insights into the Role of Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) in the Synthesis of Palladium Nanoparticles and Their Electrocatalytic Properties.

Four types of palladium (Pd) nanoparticles were prepared from the systems containing PdCl or NaPdCl with or without the assistance of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). Two types of Pd nanoparticles obtained in the absence of PVP were obviously larger than those synthesized with the assistance of PVP. The former large Pd particles showed typical features in cyclic voltammetry in HSO solution, whereas two types of small Pd nanoparticles did not.

Inulin Ameliorates Alcoholic Liver Disease via Suppressing LPS-TLR4-Mψ Axis and Modulating Gut Microbiota in Mice.

Background: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) represents a chronic liver disorder caused by alcohol abuse. Numerous studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a critical role in ALD pathogenesis. Application of prebiotic, probiotic, and dietary supplementation to the modulation of gut microbiota contributes to a novel approach to the management of ALD.

Urban energy water food land climate change nexus in the flow and policy perspective: A review.

Intricate associations exist between the internal elements of urban ecosystems, with the adjustment in one element can exert impacts of varying degrees on others. The rapid urbanization has brought numerous challenges on the urban sustainable development. To basically solve these problems, the nexus approach needs to be adopted.

Corrigendum to "Segmentation of Hyperacute Cerebral Infarcts Based on Sparse Representation of Diffusion Weighted Imaging".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2016/2581676.].

Undescribed C-geranylflavonoids isolated from the fruit peel of Paulownia catalpifolia T. Gong ex D.Y. Hong with their protection on human umbilical vein endothelial cells injury induced by hydrogen peroxide.

Six undescribed C-geranylated flavonoids, including five C-geranylflavanones named as paucatalinones F - J, one C-geranylflavonol named as paucatalinone K, along with seven known geranylated flavanones, were isolated from the fruit peel of Paulownia catalpifolia T. Gong ex D.Y.

[Expression of leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor A3 in CD14 monocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

Objective: To investigate the expression of leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor A3 (LILRA3) in CD14 monocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Fifty three RA patients admitted in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from February 2017 to August 2017, and 21 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. The expression of LILRA3 in CD14 monocyte subset was determined by flow cytometry, and its correlations with clinical features, laboratory examination results, antibodies and disease activity were analyzed.

Accelerated Barocycler Lysis and Extraction Sample Preparation for Clinical Proteomics by Mass Spectrometry.

We have developed a streamlined proteomic sample preparation protocol termed Accelerated Barocycler Lysis and Extraction (ABLE) that substantially reduces the time and cost of tissue sample processing. ABLE is based on pressure cycling technology (PCT) for rapid tissue solubilization and reliable, controlled proteolytic digestion. Here, a previously reported PCT based protocol was optimized using 1-4 mg biopsy punches from rat kidney.

Sclerostin rather than Dickkopf-1 is associated with mSASSS but not with disease activity score in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: To determine the serum levels of Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and sclerostin, as well as their correlations with the structural damage assessed by modified stoke ankylosing spondylitis spine score (mSASSS) and the disease activity evaluated by ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score (ASDAS) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: Eighty-eight AS patients, 26 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and 26 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were collected from rheumatic clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, between March 2015 and July 2015. Demographic data, parameters of ASDAS, and image evaluations of spine (i.

Highlighting the importance of early diagnosis in progressive multi-organ involvement of IgG4-related disease: A case report and review of literature.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an increasingly recognized pathological entity that tends to involve multiple organs with an elevated level of serum IgG4, which is easily misdiagnosed owing to sharing common clinical features with a variety of other diseases. Here, we report an interesting IgG4-RD case of a woman with progressive multi-organ involvement for over 19 years, started with swollen eyelids, dry eye and mouth, and polydipsia and hydruria. Imaging diagnosis revealed diffuse enlargement of the parotid glands, enlargement of the head of the pancreas, pulmonary infection and interstitial lung.

Plasma Phospholipid Transfer Protein Promotes Platelet Aggregation.

It remains unclear whether plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) is involved in hyper-coagulation or hypo-coagulation. This study investigated the direct effect of PLTP on platelet aggregation and the underlying mechanism. Washed platelets from humans or mice and mouse platelet-rich plasma and human recombinant PLTP were isolated.

Abnormal Rheological Phenomena in Newtonian Fluids in Electroosmotic Flows in a Nanocapillary.

Abnormal rheological phenomena arising in Tris-borate-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid solutions (believed to be Newtonian fluids) were observed in direct current electroosmotic flows within a nanocapillary with a diameter of 200 nm under a low electric field of tens of volts per meter. In solutions with different concentrations and pH values, the flow behavior indices of the power-law fluids were calculated on the basis of current-voltage relations. When the electric field intensity was below a critical value of 6.

Sorafenib and docosahexaenoic acid act in synergy to suppress cancer cell viability: a role of heme oxygenase 1.

Background: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid that has anticancer activity. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is a potential therapeutic target due to its cytoprotective activity in cancer cells. We recently reported that DHA induces HO-1 gene transcription in human cancer cells by augmenting the degradation of Bach1 protein, which functions as a negative regulator of HO-1.

Accelerated Glomerular Cell Senescence in Experimental Lupus Nephritis.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine whether senescence in renal glomeruli is involved in lupus nephritis (LN); the expression of senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) and its association with glomerular lesions were investigated in a mouse model of LN. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eighteen MRL/lpr mice with severe proteinuria were randomly divided into 2 equal groups and intraperitoneally injected with dexamethasone (DEX) or saline; 4 age-matched mice with mild proteinuria served as controls. Serum creatinine and urinary protein levels were analyzed, and kidney histological changes were observed by periodic acid-Schiff and Sirius Red staining.

Impact of vitamin D depletion during development on mouse sperm DNA methylation.

Suboptimal environmental conditions during development can substantially alter the epigenome. Stable environmentally-induced changes to the germline epigenome, in particular, have important implications for the health of the next generation. We showed previously that developmental vitamin D depletion (DVD) resulted in loss of DNA methylation at several imprinted loci over two generations.

Protective effects of 2,3,5,4-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-o-β-D-glucoside against osteoporosis: Current knowledge and proposed mechanisms.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism underlying the protective effects of 2,3,5,4-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-o-β-D-glucoside (TSG) against osteoporosis.

Method: MC3T3-E1 mouse osteoblast precursor cells were used to analyze the protective effects of TSG on osteoblast apoptosis and differential inhibition induced by oxidative stress to determine the gene expression of forkhead transcription factor FKHRL1 (FoxO3a), T cell factors (TCFs), and downstream genes. A mouse model was used to assess the protective effects of TSG on ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis as well as on Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK) gene expression, including that of FoxO3a.

Study on the Shupe error of the elliptic fiber coil.

In this work, the fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) with an elliptic fiber coil (EFC) is applied to the inertial measurement of petroleum well trajectory for the special condition of the borehole diameter limitation in the inclinometer while drilling (IWD). The three-dimensional (3D) Shupe error mathematical model and finite element model of the EFC are established by the quadrupole symmetrical technique, which is based on the Shupe effect of fiber coil. Then, the simulation experiments and the temperature experiments of the EFC are carried out to verify the correctness of the mathematical model.

How silanization influences aggregation and moisture sorption behaviours of silanized silica: analysis of porosity and multilayer moisture adsorption.

Based on the results of nitrogen adsorption and dynamic vapour sorption as well as analysis by the Hailwood-Horrobin (H-H) model, the effects of γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS) on the agglomeration and moisture sorption properties of fumed silica particles were investigated. After adding various concentrations (2%, 4%, 6% and 8%) of MPTS, different degrees of silanization were obtained by showing various ─OH group contents on the silica surface, which resulted in silica agglomerates with different porous structures. The bigger mesopores in the unmodified silica agglomerates became smaller and finally disappeared after MPTS modification and the Bruanuer-Emmett-Teller surface area decreased more gradually with an increase in MPTS concentration.

Development and characterization of a polarized human endometrial cell epithelia in an air-liquid interface state.

Human endometrial epithelia undergo injury repair and regeneration with the menstrual cycle; however, mechanisms underpinning the roles of endometrial epithelial cells in endometrial lesions and regeneration remain incompletely understood, mainly owing to the difficulty in the isolation and expansion of primary endometrial epithelial cells and the lack of reliable models for in vitro and in vivo studies. In this report, we sought to improve methods for the isolation and expansion of human endometrial epithelial cells with a Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor-modified medium and subsequently characterize endometrial epithelium generated with primary cells cultured in an air-liquid interface (ALI) state. Immunocytochemistry staining revealed the expression of epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EpCam) and stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1) but a lack of CD13 in endometrial epithelial cells.

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells direct macrophage polarization to alleviate pancreatic islets dysfunction in type 2 diabetic mice.

Progressive pancreatic β-cell dysfunction is recognized as a fundamental pathology of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been identified in protection of islets function in T2D individuals. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive.

HBsAg/β2GPI activates the NF‑κB pathway via the TLR4/MyD88/IκBα axis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) globally. However, the mechanism underlying the mediation by HBV surface proteins (HBsAgs) of the early steps in the virus life cycle and following HCC development is unclear. β‑2‑glycoprotein I (β2GPI) specifically interacts with HBsAg and demonstrates high expression during the earliest stages of hepatitis B virus infection.

Chronic stress-associated visceral hyperalgesia correlates with severity of intestinal barrier dysfunction.

In humans, chronic psychological stress is associated with increased intestinal paracellular permeability and visceral hyperalgesia, which is recapitulated in the chronic intermittent water avoidance stress (WAS) rat model. However, it is unknown whether enhanced visceral pain and permeability are intrinsically linked and correlate. Treatment of rats with lubiprostone during WAS significantly reduced WAS-induced changes in intestinal epithelial paracellular permeability and visceral hyperalgesia in a subpopulation of rats.