Determination of circulating tumor cells by surface-enhanced Raman scattering based on molecularly imprinted polymers doped with silver nanoparticles.

The rapid and simple detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can help with early diagnosis of tumor diseases and assist clinical judgment of tumor disease development status and prognosis. An important alteration in cancer progression is a significant increase in sialic acid (SA) levels, making sialic acid one of an interesting biomarker for cancer type diversity. Here, novel SERS nano-biosensors were fabricated employing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) particles loaded with Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) to form high affinity toward sialic acid on CTCs.

Preclinical characterization of [F]D-LW223: an improved metabolically stable PET tracer for imaging the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) in neuroinflammatory rodent models and non-human primates.

Positron emission tomography (PET) targeting translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) can be used for the noninvasive detection of neuroinflammation. Improved in vivo stability of a TSPO tracer is beneficial for minimizing the potential confounding effects of radiometabolites. Deuteration represents an important strategy for improving the pharmacokinetics and stability of existing drug molecules in the plasma.

Regulation of seed traits in soybean.

Soybean () is an essential economic crop that provides vegetative oil and protein for humans, worldwide. Increasing soybean yield as well as improving seed quality is of great importance. Seed weight/size, oil and protein content are the three major traits determining seed quality, and seed weight also influences soybean yield.

Global analysis of seed transcriptomes reveals a novel PLATZ regulator for seed size and weight control in soybean.

Seed size and weight are important factors that influence soybean yield. Combining the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of 45 soybean accessions and gene dynamic changes in seeds at seven developmental stages, we identified candidate genes that may control the seed size/weight. Among these, a PLATZ-type regulator overlapping with 10 seed weight QTLs was further investigated.

GmJAZ3 interacts with GmRR18a and GmMYC2a to regulate seed traits in soybean.

Seed weight is usually associated with seed size and is one of the important agronomic traits that determine yield. Understanding of seed weight control is limited, especially in soybean plants. Here we show that Glycine max JASMONATE-ZIM DOMAIN 3 (GmJAZ3), a gene identified through gene co-expression network analysis, regulates seed-related traits in soybean.

Effect of perioperative blood pressure variability on cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome after carotid artery stenting: A retrospective study.

Objective: To investigate the effect of perioperative blood pressure variability on cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome after carotid artery stenting.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of data collected from 418 patients who underwent carotid artery stenting in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region People's Hospital in China. The blood pressure data were collected during operation (after balloon dilation, before stent release, after stent release) and within 3 days after the operation.

Stability analysis and Hopf bifurcation in a diffusive epidemic model with two delays.

A diffusive epidemic model with two delays subjecting to Neumann boundary conditions is considered. First we obtain the existence and the stability of the positive constant steady state. Then we investigate the existence of Hopf bifurcations by analyzing the distribution of the eigenvalues.

Electro-acupuncture regulates glucose metabolism in chronic stress model rats.

Studies have shown that acupuncture is very effective in treating chronic stress depression. However, little is known about the therapeutic mechanism of electro-acupuncture. Metabolomics, on the other hand, is a technology that determines the metabolic changes of organisms caused by various interventions as a whole and is related to the overall effect of electro-acupuncture (EA).

Aftereffect and Reproducibility of Three Excitatory Repetitive TMS Protocols for a Response Inhibition Task.

A number of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protocols have been developed for modulating brain function non-invasively. To identify the most powerful one, these protocols have been compared in the context of the motor system. However, to what extent the conclusions could be generalized to high-level functions is largely unknown.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and stromal cell-derived factor-1 combination therapy: A more effective treatment for cerebral ischemic stroke.

Background: Drugs that promote angiogenesis include statins, recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and stromal cell-derived factor-1. Low doses of atorvastatin could significantly increase the vascular expressions of endothelial growth factor, and the number of peripheral blood endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), thus improving angiogenesis and local blood flow. G-CSF is an EPC-mobilization agent used in ischemia studies for targeting angiogenesis after cerebral ischemia via EPCs.

Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) promotes epithelial-endothelial transition through Twist1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Tumor cells transfer into endothelial cells by epithelial-endothelial transition (EET), which is characterized by vasculagenic mimicry (VM) in morphology. VM can change tumor microcirculation, progression, and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms of endothelial-like transition remain unclear.

Twist1 confers multidrug resistance in colon cancer through upregulation of ATP-binding cassette transporters.

Multidrug resistance is a major problem in colon cancer treatment. However, its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Recently, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in anticancer drug resistance has attracted increasing attention.

Testing Einstein's Equivalence Principle With Fast Radio Bursts.

The accuracy of Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP) can be tested with the observed time delays between correlated particles or photons that are emitted from astronomical sources. Assuming as a lower limit that the time delays are caused mainly by the gravitational potential of the Milky Way, we prove that fast radio bursts (FRBs) of cosmological origin can be used to constrain the EEP with high accuracy. Taking FRB 110220 and two possible FRB/gamma-ray burst (GRB) association systems (FRB/GRB 101011A and FRB/GRB 100704A) as examples, we obtain a strict upper limit on the differences of the parametrized post-Newtonian parameter γ values as low as [γ(1.

A fast cranial drilling technique in treating severe intracranial hemorrhage.

Background: This study is a retrospective case analysis of 143 patients who suffered from severe intracranial hemorrhage and underwent a fast and simple procedure of cranial drilling followed with external ventricle drain treatment (referred as Fast-D here after) during 2003-2013 to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the treatment.

Methods: Fast-D procedure was conducted on 143 patients with severe acute craniocerebral diseases. Those patients were evaluated using activities of daily living (ADL) scales at hospital discharge and after 6-month of physical therapy, and were compared to 36 patients with similar craniocerebral diseases but received the traditional Dandy's surgical treatment.