Gelatin-based biomaterials and gelatin as an additive for chronic wound repair.

Disturbing or disrupting the regular healing process of a skin wound may result in its progression to a chronic state. Chronic wounds often lead to increased infection because of their long healing time, malnutrition, and insufficient oxygen flow, subsequently affecting wound progression. Gelatin-the main structure of natural collagen-is widely used in biomedical fields because of its low cost, wide availability, biocompatibility, and degradability.

miR-708-3p promotes gastric cancer progression through downregulating ETNK1.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, evolutionarily conserved, non-coding RNAs playing a role in the proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis, chemo-sensitivity, and chemo-resistance of gastric cancer, as well as the stemness of gastric cancer stem cells. miR-708-3p induces gastric cancer cell chemo-resistance, but its actual role in gastric cancer progression remains unclear. This paper shows that miR-708-3p is upregulated in gastric cancer samples and that a high miR-708-3p expression in gastric cancer patients is associated with poor overall survival.

[Methodological Evaluation of Microarray in the Detection of α-Thalassemia].

Objective: To proceed the clinical evaluation of DNA microarray for thalassemia gene detection.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples of 166 thalassemia gene test subjects were collected and tested for thalassemia genes by microarray chip method and Gap-PCR method combined with PCR-reverse dot blot hybridization method according to double-blind control test. The specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and total coincidence rate of the microarray chip method were evaluated.

Self-limiting electrospray deposition on polymer templates.

Electrospray deposition (ESD) applies a high voltage to liquids flowing through narrow capillaries to produce monodisperse generations of droplets down to hundreds of nanometers in diameter, each carrying a small amount of the delivered solute. This deposition method has been combined with insulated stencil masks for fabricating micropatterns by spraying solutions containing nanoparticles, polymers, or biomaterials. To optimize the fabrication process for micro-coatings, a self-limiting electrospray deposition (SLED) method has recently been developed.

Analysis of rare thalassemia caused by HS-40 regulatory site deletion.

To investigate the effect of HS-40 regulatory site deletion on α-globin gene expression and its clinical significance. Venous blood samples of subjects were analyzed using a hematology analyzer and high- performance liquid chromatography; fetal cord blood was analyzed by a capillary electrophoresis analyzer. Gap-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse dot blot (RDB), and multiple-link-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were used for genotyping of thalassemia.

Elevating EGFR-MAPK program by a nonconventional Cdc42 enhances intestinal epithelial survival and regeneration.

The regulatory mechanisms enabling the intestinal epithelium to maintain a high degree of regenerative capacity during mucosal injury remain unclear. Ex vivo survival and clonogenicity of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) strictly required growth response mediated by cell division control 42 (Cdc42) and Cdc42-deficient enteroids to undergo rapid apoptosis. Mechanistically, Cdc42 engaging with EGFR was required for EGF-stimulated, receptor-mediated endocytosis and sufficient to promote MAPK signaling.

Rapid broadband discrete nanomechanical mapping of soft samples on atomic force microscope.

In this paper, an approach to achieve rapid broadband discrete nanomechanical mapping of soft samples using an atomic force microscope is developed. Nanomechanical mapping (NM) is needed to investigate, for example, dynamic evolution of the nanomechanical distribution of the sample-provided that the mapping is fast enough. The throughput of conventional NM methods, however, is inherently limited by the continuous scanning involved where the probe visits each sampling location continuously.

[Analysis of beta-globin gene variants in Liuzhou area of Guangxi].

Objective: To determine the composition and distribution of beta-thalassemia-associated genotypes in Liuzhou area of Guangxi, China.

Methods: From January to December 2017, 13 847 individuals who came for premarital examination, maternity examination or health check were recruited with informed consent. The subjects were analyzed by reverse dot blotting (RDB) for 17 common beta-thalassemia-associated variants among the Chinese population.

Antibacterial TiCu/TiCuN Multilayer Films with Good Corrosion Resistance Deposited by Axial Magnetic Field-Enhanced Arc Ion Plating.

In order to develop a novel kind of antibacterial Cu-containing TiN film with good corrosion resistance, impressive mechanical properties, and low cytotoxicity, three differently designed multilayer films of TiCu/TiCuN multilayer (M1, M2, M3) were deposited on the surface of 316L stainless steel surface using the axial magnetic field-enhanced arc ion plating (AMFE-ARP) method, in which the interlayer of TiCu was first introduced for Cu-containing TiN film in order to improve comprehensive properties, especially the corrosion resistance of the film. The performance of the TiCu/TiCuN multilayer films was compared with that of the two single layers, TiN and TiCuN, which were deposited by the same method and the same total deposition time. The results indicated that the TiCu/TiCuN multilayer film of M2 revealed the best comprehensive corrosion resistance with low electric current values, high pitting potential, and high polarization resistance due to the proper thickness of TiCu interlayers and larger number of TiCu/TiCuN bilayers.

Receptor-mediated endocytosis generates nanomechanical force reflective of ligand identity and cellular property.

Whether environmental (thermal, chemical, and nutrient) signals generate quantifiable, nanoscale, mechanophysical changes in the cellular plasma membrane has not been well elucidated. Assessment of such mechanophysical properties of plasma membrane may shed lights on fundamental cellular process. Atomic force microscopic (AFM) measurement of the mechanical properties of live cells was hampered by the difficulty in accounting for the effects of the cantilever motion and the associated hydrodynamic force on the mechanical measurement.

[Culture and characterization of spontaneous ascites cells isolated from ].

Objective: To isolate and culture the spontaneous ascites cells from under artificial conditions, so as to investigate the molecular mechanism at the cell level.

Methods: The cells were isolated from spontaneous ascites of artificially bred for 90 d, and were cultured and observed under a microscope. The differences of ascites cells among normal, spontaneous ascites and schistosomiasis infected samples of were compared.

[Study of closed colony of Microtus fortis infected with Schistosoma japonicum].

Objective: To understand the pathological changes of tissues and organs in Microtus fortis infected with Schistosoma japonicum for further insight into the biological dynamic variation and explore immune mechanisms of M. fortis against S. japonicum infection.

Increasing manganese peroxidase production and biodecolorization of triphenylmethane dyes by novel fungal consortium.

A fungal consortium-SR consisting of Trametes sp. SQ01 and Chaetomium sp. R01 was developed for decolorizing three kinds of triphenylmethane dyes, which were decolorized by individual fungi with low efficiencies.