The Polysaccharide Extracted from Umbilicaria esculenta Inhibits Proliferation of Melanoma Cells through ROS-Activated Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway.

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin cancers with an increasing rate of morbidity. Umbilicaria esculenta is an edible lichen and its main component of extracts-polysaccharide (PUE) has shown significant antitumor effects in a variety of cancer types such as stomach adenocarcinoma. However, whether it has an anti-melanoma effect and the underlying mechanism has not been revealed.

The expression of mCTLA-4 in skin lesion inversely correlates with the severity of psoriasis.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by epidermal hyperplasia and increased T cell infiltration. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is a key factor that affects T cell function and immune response. However, whether the expression of CTLA-4 affects the severity of psoriasis is still unknown.

Facile Strategy to Generate Aligned Polymer Nanofibers: Effects on Cell Adhesion.

Structure of polymer fiber membranes plays a vital role in controlling cell responses as applied to immobilize targets for specific cell interactions. Electrospinning is a simple and powerful method to prepare polymer fiber membranes with scales from nano- to micrometers. In this report, a facile yet versatile strategy has been developed for fabricating polymer nanofiber membranes with well-aligned structures using a glass sheet between the needle and a static drum as the collector.

Liposomes-coated gold nanocages with antigens and adjuvants targeted delivery to dendritic cells for enhancing antitumor immune response.

For nanovaccine-based cancer immunotherapy, dendritic cells (DCs) are one of the most powerful antigen presenting cells (APCs) that initiate and promote the maturation of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (e.g., CD8 T cells) to induce the local and systemic antitumor immunity and further suppress the tumor metastasis and produce long-term protection against tumor.

Self-powered Real-time Movement Monitoring Sensor Using Triboelectric Nanogenerator Technology.

The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has great potential in the field of self-powered sensor fabrication. Recently, smart electronic devices and movement monitoring sensors have attracted the attention of scientists because of their application in the field of artificial intelligence. In this article, a TENG finger movement monitoring, self-powered sensor has been designed and analysed.

Encapsulation of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Peptides into Hollow Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Enhancement of Antitumor Immune Response.

Codelivery of combinational antigenic peptides and adjuvant to antigen presenting cells is expected to amplify tumor specific T lymphocytes immune responses while minimizing the possibility of tumor escaping and reducing immune tolerance to single antigenic peptide. However, the varied hydrophobicities of these multivariant derived short antigenic peptides limit their codelivery efficiency in conventional delivery systems. Here, a facile yet effective route is presented to generate monodisperse and stable hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) for codelivering of HGP100 and TRP2 , two melanoma-derived peptides with varied hydrophobicities.

The Unknown Aspect of BAFF: Inducing IL-35 Production by a CD5CD1dFcγRIIb Regulatory B-Cell Subset in Lupus.

IL-35 is a critical immunosuppressive cytokine that plays an important role in various autoimmune diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine whether BAFF, a key pathogenic factor in systemic lupus erythematosus, also a dichotomous regulator for B-cell immune responses, has an effect on IL-35-producing regulatory B cells and their underlying mechanisms in lupus. We found that exogenous BAFF could induce IL-35 production by splenic B cells from MRL-Fas mice.

Polyethylenimine-based micro/nanoparticles as vaccine adjuvants.

Vaccines have shown great success in treating and preventing tumors and infections, while adjuvants are always demanded to ensure potent immune responses. Polyethylenimine (PEI), as one of the well-studied cationic polymers, has been used as a transfection reagent for decades. However, increasing evidence has shown that PEI-based particles are also capable of acting as adjuvants.

Limited distal organelles and synaptic function in extensive monoaminergic innervation.

Organelles such as neuropeptide-containing dense-core vesicles (DCVs) and mitochondria travel down axons to supply synaptic boutons. DCV distribution among boutons in small axonal arbors is mediated by circulation with bidirectional capture. However, it is not known how organelles are distributed in extensive arbors associated with mammalian dopamine neuron vulnerability, and with volume transmission and neuromodulation by monoamines and neuropeptides.

Dacarbazine-Loaded Hollow Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Grafted with Folic Acid for Enhancing Antimetastatic Melanoma Response.

Dacarbazine (DTIC) is one of the most important chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of melanoma; however, its poor solubility, photosensitivity, instability, and serious toxicity to normal cells limit its clinical applications. In this article, we present a rationally designed nanocarrier based on hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) for the encapsulation and targeted release of DTIC for eradicating melanoma. The nanocarrier (DTIC@HMLBFs) is prepared by modifying HMSNs with carboxyl groups to enhance the loading of DTIC, followed by further enveloping of folic acid-grafted liposomes, which act as a melanoma active target for controlled and targeted drug release.

Treatment of venous lake with multiwavelength 595 and 1064 nm lasers in Asian Fitzpatrick skin type IV patients.

Background: Multiwavelength lasers are reportedly useful for treating venous lake (VL) in Caucasian patients. However, the same parameters may not be safe for Asian patients with Fitzpatrick skin type (FST) IV.

Purpose: Report experience with using multiwavelength laser for VL treatment in Asian patients with FST IV.

Flexible Light Emission Diode Arrays Made of Transferred Si Microwires-ZnO Nanofilm with Piezo-Phototronic Effect Enhanced Lighting.

Due to the fragility and the poor optoelectronic performances of Si, it is challenging and exciting to fabricate the Si-based flexible light-emitting diode (LED) array devices. Here, a flexible LED array device made of Si microwires-ZnO nanofilm, with the advantages of flexibility, stability, lightweight, and energy savings, is fabricated and can be used as a strain sensor to demonstrate the two-dimensional pressure distribution. Based on piezo-phototronic effect, the intensity of the flexible LED array can be increased more than 3 times (under 60 MPa compressive strains).

Prognosis for Hospitalized Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in China: 5-Year Update of the Jiangsu Cohort.

Objective: To identify early signs associated with poor prognosis in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through a large population-based follow-up study.

Methods: Medical records of > 2,500 SLE patients that first hospitalized between 1999-2009 were collected from 26 centers across Jiangsu province, China, and entered into a database. These patients were followed-up for 5 to 15 years, and those remained contact and had known survival status in 2015 were assessed for the association of factors presented at the initial hospitalization with mortality at two time points (≤1year and > 1year).

Block Copolymer Capsules with Structure-Dependent Release Behavior.

Although high-boiling non-solvent induced macrophase separation in emulsion droplets has been widely applied for the fabrication of polymeric capsules, precise control of their structures remains a great challenge. Herein, block copolymer capsules with tunable shell structures were fabricated by employing a non-solvent as a liquid template in emulsion droplets. The properties of the non-solvents dictate the phase separation sequence in the droplets and the capsule formation mechanism.

miR-7 reverses the resistance to BRAFi in melanoma by targeting EGFR/IGF-1R/CRAF and inhibiting the MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are attractive therapeutic targets for various therapy-resistant tumors. However, the association between miRNA and BRAF inhibitor resistance in melanoma remains to be elucidated. We used microarray analysis to comprehensively study the miRNA expression profiling of vemurafenib resistant (VemR) A375 melanoma cells in relation to parental A375 melanoma cells.

The microtubule-severing protein fidgetin acts after dendrite injury to promote their degeneration.

After being severed from the cell body, axons initiate an active degeneration program known as Wallerian degeneration. Although dendrites also seem to have an active injury-induced degeneration program, no endogenous regulators of this process are known. Because microtubule disassembly has been proposed to play a role in both pruning and injury-induced degeneration, we used a Drosophila model to identify microtubule regulators involved in dendrite degeneration.

Skin healing and collagen changes of rats after fractional erbium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser: observation by reflectance confocal microscopy with confirmed histological evidence.

The fractional erbium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser is widely applied. Microstructural changes after laser treatment have been observed with histopathology. Epidermal and dermal microstructures have also been analyzed using reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM).

Comparative phylogeography and evolutionary history of schizothoracine fishes in the Changtang Plateau and their implications for the lake level and Pleistocene climate fluctuations.

The water level oscillation of endorheic lakes and extent change of glaciers associated with the Asian monsoon are known as prominent representatives of climatic and environmental events in the Tibetan Plateau during the Quaternary. However, details process in spatial and temporal changes are still debated. We use the schizothoracines as a palaeoclimatic proxy to test two hypotheses concerning the evolution of Quaternary glaciations and lakes of the Changtang Plateau: (1) the Tibetan glaciations generally tended to decrease since the middle Pleistocene; (2) the lakes expansion was driven by summer monsoon rainfall.

Suppression of c‑FLIPL promotes JNK activation in malignant melanoma cells.

The up‑regulation of cellular Fas‑associated death domain‑like interleukin‑1β‑converting enzyme (FLICE)‑like inhibitory protein (c‑FLIP) has been reported in various tumor types, and has been previously shown to be associated with the clinicopathological features of melanoma. To assess its potential role in cancer therapy, the present study evaluated the effects of short hairpin (sh)RNAs of different c‑FLIP isoforms on cellular proliferation and c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase (JNK) signaling. Human c‑FLIP shRNA plasmids were constructed and transfected into the A875 melanoma cell line.

Analysis of 28 Chinese Cases of Bilateral Nevus of Ota and Therapeutic Results With the Q-Switched Alexandrite Laser.

Background: Nevus of Ota is a dermal melanocytic lesion that presents as bluish hyperpigmentation along the first or second branch of the trigeminal nerve. It is common in Asians. However, bilateral involvement is rare.

Validation of daily increment formation in otoliths for Gymnocypris selincuoensis in the Tibetan Plateau, China.

Daily increment validation in fish otolith is fundamental to studies on fish otolith microstructure, age determination and life history traits, and thus is critical for species conservation and fishery management. However, it has never been done for Schizothoracine fish, which is the dominant component of fish fauna in the Tibetan Plateau. This study validated the daily increment formation of Gymnocypris selincuoensis, as a representative of Schizothoracine fish, by monitoring the growth of hatchery-reared larvae group and wild-caught post-yolk-sac larvae group under controlled experiments.

Extranodal NK/T-cell Lymphoma Mimicking Erythema Multiforme.

Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is an extremely rare and an aggressive lymphoma. We report an interesting case of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma in a middle-aged woman which mimicked erythema multiforme. The skin lesions of this case looked like erythema multiforme due to the tagetoid lesions and mucosal erosions.

Relationships between climate and growth of Gymnocypris selincuoensis in the Tibetan Plateau.

The consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly evident in the Tibetan Plateau, represented by glaciers retreating and lakes expanding, but the biological response to climate change by plateau-lake ecosystems is poorly known. In this study, we applied dendrochronology methods to develop a growth index chronology with otolith increment widths of Selincuo naked carp (Gymnocypris selincuoensis), which is an endemic species in Lake Selincuo (4530 m), and investigated the relationships between fish growth and climate variables (regional and global) in the last three decades. A correlation analysis and principle component regression analysis between regional climate factors and the growth index chronology indicated that the growth of G.