The effects of Smad6 via small RNA pathways on the ischemic injury in PC12 cells.

Background: Though we have reported the neuroprotective effect of exogenous ActA on oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) injury, the endogenous role of Smad6 remains not well understood. Smad6 is an important regulator of the ActA/smads signaling via a negative feedback circuit.

Methods: In this study, nerve growth factor (NGF) and OGD were used to stimulate (rat adrenal pheochromocytoma) PC12 cells converting them into neurons to establish an ischemia in vitro model.

An efficient synthesis method targeted to marine alkaloids marinacarbolines A-D and their antitumor activities.

Marinacarbolines A-D are a series of marine β-carboline alkaloids isolated from actinomycete Marinactinospora thermotolerans of the deep South China Sea with antiplasmodial activities. In inhibition assays of in vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum, marinacarbolines exhibited antiplasmodial activity against drug-sensitive line 3D7 and drug-resistant line Dd2 of P. falciparum.

Genome Sequence of an Extensively Drug-Resistant Strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Strain YN-1, with Carbapenem Resistance.

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae has been regarded as one of the major challenges among health care-associated infections worldwide. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) K. pneumoniae strain isolated in 2013 from Yunnan Province, China.

Genome Sequence of a Pandrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain, YN-1.

A highly rampant multidrug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa appeared in a hospital in Yunnan Province, China. Here, we report the genome sequence of the pandrug-resistant (PDR) P. aeruginosa strain recovered from a patient in 2013.

Risk factors for late dysphagia after (chemo)radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: A systematic methodological review.

Background: The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the risk factors for late dysphagia in patients with head and neck cancer after (chemo)radiotherapy.

Methods: The review was performed using search strategies, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. The effects of studies were combined with the study quality score using a best-evidence synthesis model.

Fine scale Spatial-temporal cluster analysis for the infection risk of Schistosomiasis japonica using space-time scan statistics.

Background: Marching towards the elimination of schistosomiasis in China, both the incidence and prevalence have witnessed profound decline over the past decades, with the strategy shifting from morbidity control to transmission control. The current challenge is to find out hotspots of transmission risk for precise targeted control in low-prevalence areas. This study assessed the risk at the village level, using the spatial and temporal characteristics of Schistosomiasis japonica in Anhui province from 2006 to 2012.

Role of DOR-β-arrestin1-Bcl2 signal transduction pathway and intervention effects of oxymatrine in ulcerative colitis.

This study was aimed to investigate the role of the delta-opioid receptor (DOR)-β-arrestin1-Bcl-2 signal transduction pathway in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) and the intervention effects of oxymatrine on UC. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal group, model group, oxymatrine-treated group and mesalazine-treated group (n=10 each) at random. The rat UC model was established by intra-colonic injection of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid in the model group and two treatment groups.

Multilocus microsatellite markers for molecular typing of Candida tropicalis isolates.

Background: Candida tropicalis is considered to be the leading pathogen causing nosocomial fungemia and hepatosplenic fungal infections in patients with cancer, particularly those with leukemia. Microsatellite-based typing methods using sets of genetic markers have been developed and reported for population structure analysis of C. albicans, C.

Self-assembled micelles based on pH-sensitive PAE-g-MPEG-cholesterol block copolymer for anticancer drug delivery.

A novel amphiphilic triblock pH-sensitive poly(β-amino ester)-g-poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether-cholesterol (PAE-g-MPEG-Chol) was designed and synthesized via the Michael-type step polymerization and esterification condensation method. The synthesized copolymer was determined with proton nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography. The grafting percentages of MPEG and cholesterol were determined as 10.

[Space-time clustering analysis of acute schistosome infections in marshland and lake areas in five provinces].

Objective: To analyze the time and space aggregation of acute schistosome infections in marshland and lake areas in five provinces (Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan province) from 2005 to 2012, so as to provide the evidence for establishing control strategies and taking effective control measures.

Methods: The data of patients with acute schistosome infection in marshland and lake areas in five provinces from 2005 to 2012 were collected and analyzed with the concentration ratio and circular distribution methods for the epidemic season features and time aggregation of the infection, and with the spatial autocorrelation analysis for the space aggregation of the infected cases.

Results: According to the concentration ratio, the occurrence of acute schistosome infection had strong seasonality, and the concentration ratio was 0.

Altered proteomic polymorphisms in the caterpillar body and stroma of natural Cordyceps sinensis during maturation.

Objective: To examine the maturational changes in proteomic polymorphisms resulting from differential expression by multiple intrinsic fungi in the caterpillar body and stroma of natural Cordyceps sinensis (Cs), an integrated micro-ecosystem.

Methods: The surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) biochip technique was used to profile the altered protein compositions in the caterpillar body and stroma of Cs during its maturation. The MS chromatograms were analyzed using density-weighted algorithms to examine the similarities and cluster relationships among the proteomic polymorphisms of the Cs compartments and the mycelial products Hirsutella sinensis (Hs) and Paecilomyces hepiali (Ph).

Drug release from pH-sensitive polymeric micelles with different drug distributions: insight from coarse-grained simulations.

How to control the release of drugs from pH-sensitive polymeric micelles is an issue of common concern, which is important to the effectiveness of the micelles. The components and properties of polymers can notably influence the drug distributions inside micelles which is a key factor that affects the drug release from the micelles. In this work, the dissipative particle dynamics simulation method is first used to study the structural transformation of micelles during the protonation process and the drug release process from micelles with different drug distributions.

[Assessment on the effect of joint effort for schistosomiasis control in Hubei Province].

Objective: To analyze the progress of implementation of integrated strategy with emphasis on the control of infectious sources and effectiveness for joint-project of schistosomiasis control in Hubei province.

Methods: Data on the endemic status and implementation of each integrated intervention in 6 collaborated counties including Gongan, Hanchuan, Honghu, Jiangling, Xiantao and Yangxin during 2009-2013 were collected and analyzed. 18 administrative villages with a history of endemic schistosomisis from 6 counties were selected for field survey.

Immunological activity difference between native calreticulin monomers and oligomers.

We have recently demonstrated that the greatly increased immunological activities of recombinant murine calreticulin (rCRT) are largely attributed to its self-oligomerization. Although native CRT (nCRT) can also oligomerize under stress conditions in vitro, whether this phenomenon could occur inside cells and the immunological activity difference between nCRT monomers and oligomers remained unclear. In this study, we illustrated the formation of CRT oligomers in tranfectant cells under "heat & low pH" (42°C/pH 6.

Synthesis of benzimidazole[2.1-b][1,3]oxazine spirooxindoles via three-component reaction of N-benzylbenzimidazole, acetylenedicarboxylates, and N-alkylisatins.

The three-component reaction of N-benzylbenzimidazole, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylate, and N-alkylisatins in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature afforded the novel functionalized benzimidazole[2.1-b][1,3]oxazine spirooxindoles in good yields. (1)H NMR spectra indicated that two diastereoisomers with a ratio of 1:3-1:6 exist in the obtained spirooxindole derivatives.

Activated AMPK explains hypolipidemic effects of sulfated low molecular weight guluronate on HepG2 cells.

Low molecular weight and sulfated low molecular weight guluronate (LMG and SLMG) were prepared and hypolipidemic effects were studied in a human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line. Both compounds decreased total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) and inhibited 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) activity in HepG2 cells. In general, SLMG had greater effects than LMG.

Multispecies acute toxicity evaluation of wastewaters from different treatment stages in a coking wastewater-treatment plant.

Coking wastewater contributes approximately 5% of the total discharge volume of industrial wastewaters every year in China. The toxicity of coking wastewater to aquatic organisms is still unknown. The authors evaluated the toxicity of wastewater from different treatment stages in a coking wastewater treatment plant, South China, using 5 test species belonging to different trophic levels: luminous bacteria, green alga, a crustacean, duckweed, and zebrafish embryos.

Tumor-derived transforming growth factor-β is critical for tumor progression and evasion from immune surveillance.

Tumors have evolved numerous mechanisms by which they can escape from immune surveillance. One of these is to produce immunosuppressive cytokines. Transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) is a pleiotropic cytokine with a crucial function in mediating immune suppression, especially in the tumor microenvironment.

Hydrodynamics-based transfection of rat interleukin-10 gene attenuates porcine serum-induced liver fibrosis in rats by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells.

Liver fibrosis is the common pathological outcome for the majority of chronic liver diseases. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine that downregulates proinflammatory responses and has a modulatory effect on liver fibrogenesis. However, little is known regarding the effect of rat interleukin‑10 (rIL‑10) gene by hydrodynamics-based transfection (HBT) on liver fibrosis in rats.

Identifying ion channel genes related to cardiomyopathy using a novel decision forest strategy.

Ion channels play many crucial functions in life. Their dysfunction may lead to a number of diseases, such as arrhythmia and beta cell dysfunction. In this study, we firstly selected the ion channel gene expression profiles using a dimensionality reduction method.

Three-dimensional tracking of Rab5- and Rab7-associated infection process of influenza virus.

Three-dimensional (3D) single-particle tracking (SPT) techniques have been widely reported. However, the 3D SPT technique remains poorly used for solving actual biological problems. In this work, a quantum dots (QDs)-based single-particle tracking technique is utilized to explore the Rab5- and Rab7-associated infection behaviors of influenza virus in three dimensions with a set of easily-attained equipment by the fast and accurate centroid method for 3D SPT.

Pharmacokinetics of oxycodone hydrochloride and three of its metabolites after intravenous administration in Chinese patients with pain.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile of oxycodone and three of its metabolites, noroxycodone, oxymorphone and noroxymorphone after intravenous administration in Chinese patients with pain.

Methods: Forty-two subjects were assigned to receive intravenous administration of oxycodone hydrochloride of 2.5, 5 or 10 mg.