P311 promotes renal fibrosis via TGFβ1/Smad signaling.

P311, a gene that was identified in 1993, has been found to have diverse biological functions in processes such as cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. However, its role in fibrosis is unknown. We previously observed that P311 is highly expressed in skin hypertrophic scars.

Heat stress impairs mice granulosa cell function by diminishing steroids production and inducing apoptosis.

Ovarian injury can be induced by heat stress. Mice granulosa cells (GCs) are critical for normal ovarian function and they synthesize a variety of growth factors and steroids for the follicle. Furthermore, the growth, differentiation, and maturate of theca cells and oocyte are dependent upon the synthesis of GCs.

Differential submitochondrial localization of PINK1 as a molecular switch for mediating distinct mitochondrial signaling pathways.

Mutations in mitochondrial kinase PINK1 cause Parkinson disease (PD), but the submitochondrial site(s) of PINK1 action remains unclear. Here, we report that three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) enables super-resolution imaging of protein submitochondrial localization. Dual-color 3D-SIM imaging analysis revealed that PINK1 resides in the cristae membrane and intracristae space but not on the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) of healthy mitochondria.

Review on complement analysis method and the roles of glycosaminoglycans in the complement system.

Complement system is composed of over 30 proteins and it plays important roles in self-defence and inflammation. There are three activation pathways, including classical pathway, alternative pathway and lectin pathway, in complement system, and they are associated with many diseases such as osteoarthritis and age-related macular degeneration. Modulation of the complement system may be a promising strategy in the treatment of related diseases.

G3-C12 Peptide Reverses Galectin-3 from Foe to Friend for Active Targeting Cancer Treatment.

Galectin-3 is overexpressed by numerous carcinomas and is a potential target for active tumor treatments. On the other hand, galectin-3 also plays a key role in cancer progression and prevents cells from undergoing apoptosis, thereby offsetting the benefits of active targeting drugs. However, the relative contribution of the protective antiapoptotic effects of galectin-3 and the proapoptotic effects of galectin-3-targeted therapies has remained yet unrevealed.

Glucocorticoid receptor genetic polymorphisms is associated with improvement of health-related quality of life in Chinese population with systemic lupus erythematosus.

In our previous study, we found that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene genetic polymorphisms may play a major role in the efficacy of glucocorticoids (GCs) in Chinese systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The aim of this study is to explore the association of GR gene genetic polymorphisms and improvement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Chinese SLE patients treated with GCs. A total of 195 Chinese SLE patients were treated with GCs for 12 weeks.

An special epithelial staining agents: folic acid receptor-mediated diagnosis (FRD) effectively and conveniently screen patients with cervical cancer.

High-quality screening with cytology has markedly reduced mortality from cervical cancer. However, it needs experienced pathologists to review and make the final decisions. We have developed folic acid receptor-mediated diagnosis (FRD) kits to effectively and conveniently screen patients with cervical cancer.

A smart polymeric platform for multistage nucleus-targeted anticancer drug delivery.

Tumor cell nucleus-targeted delivery of antitumor agents is of great interest in cancer therapy, since the nucleus is one of the most frequent targets of drug action. Here we report a smart polymeric conjugate platform, which utilizes stimulus-responsive strategies to achieve multistage nuclear drug delivery upon systemic administration. The conjugates composed of a backbone based on N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer and detachable nucleus transport sub-units that sensitive to lysosomal enzyme.

[Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies about sleep duration and risk of weight gain and obesity in adults].

Objective: This meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively estimate the associations between sleep duration and weight gain or obesity in adults according to the literature retrieval results of related prospective cohort studies published before October 2014.

Methods: The literature retrieval was conducted by using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Chinese databases, including CNKI, VIP and Wan Fang. The pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated, and the tests of the publication bias and the heterogeneity were also performed.

Influenza A Virus Coinfection through Transmission Can Support High Levels of Reassortment.

Unlabelled: The reassortment of gene segments between influenza viruses increases genomic diversity and plays an important role in viral evolution. We have shown previously that this process is highly efficient within a coinfected cell and, given synchronous coinfection at moderate or high doses, can give rise to ~60 to 70% of progeny shed from an animal host. Conversely, reassortment in vivo can be rendered undetectable by lowering viral doses or extending the time between infections.

Spermatozoon of the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera, Monogononta): Advances in morphological and ultrastructural studies.

The morphological and ultrastructural features of the spermatozoon in Brachionus calyciflorus are described using light, fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mature spermatozoon, which appears to be thread-like, is composed of a slightly expanded anterior of cell body region and a flagellum region without acrosome. The cell body region and flagellum region are respectively 16-27μm and 20-33μm in length (n=60).

Overexpression of P21-activated kinase 4 is associated with poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer and promotes migration and invasion.

Background: P21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4), an effector of the Rho family protein Cdc42, is an important oncogene whose expression is increased in many human cancers and is generally positively correlated with advanced disease and decreased survival. However, little is known about the expression and biological function of PAK4 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: PAK4 expression in NSCLC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues were assessed by immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, and western blotting.

NMDA Receptor Antagonist Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Acute Lung Injury.

Background: Glutamate is a major neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). Large amount of glutamate can overstimulate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), causing neuronal injury and death. Recently, NMDAR has been reported to be found in the lungs.

Epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of BMI, BMI change and waist circumference in African American adults identifies multiple replicated loci.

Obesity is an important component of the pathophysiology of chronic diseases. Identifying epigenetic modifications associated with elevated adiposity, including DNA methylation variation, may point to genomic pathways that are dysregulated in numerous conditions. The Illumina 450K Bead Chip array was used to assay DNA methylation in leukocyte DNA obtained from 2097 African American adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Improving PLS-RFE based gene selection for microarray data classification.

Gene selection plays a crucial role in constructing efficient classifiers for microarray data classification, since microarray data is characterized by high dimensionality and small sample sizes and contains irrelevant and redundant genes. In practical use, partial least squares-based gene selection approaches can obtain gene subsets of good qualities, but are considerably time-consuming. In this paper, we propose to integrate partial least squares based recursive feature elimination (PLS-RFE) with two feature elimination schemes: simulated annealing and square root, respectively, to speed up the feature selection process.

Serum HE4 is more suitable as a biomarker than CA125 in Chinese women with benign gynecologic disorders.

Objective: This study measured the human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and CA125 levels in Chinese women with benign gynecological disorders.

Material And Methods: Sera were obtained from Chinese women prior to surgery for a pelvic mass and HE4 and CA125 levels were determined. The proportions of patients with HE4 and CA125 levels were compared.

Improvement of anti-tumor abilities on human non-small cell lung carcinoma by micellization and cross-linking of N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide copolymers.

Non-small cell lung carcinoma is one of the most frequently occurred cancers with a very high rate of recurrence. Self-assembly N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) micelles and cross-linked micelles were developed to improve antitumor ability of linear HPMA copolymer. The characters of HPMA micelles were investigated and compared using human non-small cell lung carcinoma 3-D culture model and nude mice xenograft model.

Detection of a superconducting phase in a two-atom layer of hexagonal Ga film grown on semiconducting GaN(0001).

The recent observation of the superconducting state at atomic scale has motivated the pursuit of exotic condensed phases in two-dimensional (2D) systems. Here we report on a superconducting phase in two-monolayer crystalline Ga films epitaxially grown on wide-band-gap semiconductor GaN(0001). This phase exhibits a hexagonal structure and only 0.

Polymeric nanomedicine for tumor-targeted combination therapy to elicit synergistic genotoxicity against prostate cancer.

To improve the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer combination therapy, we designed a nanoplatform based on N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers that allows covalent bonding of two chemotherapeutics acting via different anticancer mechanisms and that can enter target cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Doxorubicin (DOX) was covalently conjugated to a nanosized HPMA copolymer using a pH-sensitive hydrazone bond and 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) was conjugated to the same backbone using an enzymatically degradable oligopeptide Gly-Phe-Leu-Gly sequence. Then, the conjugate was decorated with galectin-3 targeting peptide G3-C12 [P-(G3-C12)-DOX-Fu].

Absolutely nondestructive discrimination of Huoshan Dendrobium nobile species with miniature near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer engine.

As one very precious traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Huoshan Dendrobium has not only high price, but also significant pharmaceutical efficacy. However, different species of Huoshan Dendrobium exhibit considerable difference in pharmaceutical efficacy, so rapid and absolutely non-destructive discrimination of Huoshan Dendrobium nobile according to different species is crucial to quality control and pharmaceutical effect. In this study, as one type of miniature near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer, MicroNIR 1700 was used for absolutely nondestructive determination of NIR spectra of 90 batches of Dendrobium from five species of differ- ent commodity grades.

Altered molecular expression of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in mammary tissue of Chinese Holstein cattle with mastitis.

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediated activation of the nuclear transcription factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway by mastitis initiates expression of genes associated with inflammation and the innate immune response. In this study, the profile of mastitis-induced differential gene expression in the mammary tissue of Chinese Holstein cattle was investigated by Gene-Chip microarray and bioinformatics. The microarray results revealed that 79 genes associated with the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway were differentially expressed.

Bovine recombinant lipopolysaccharide binding protein (BRLBP) regulated apoptosis and inflammation response in lipopolysaccharide-challenged bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC).

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) is an acute-phase protein involved in host response to Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens. It has been reported to exert diverse biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory effects. However, what effects it has on bovine mastitis has not been investigated.

Overcoming the diffusion barrier of mucus and absorption barrier of epithelium by self-assembled nanoparticles for oral delivery of insulin.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have demonstrated great potential for the oral delivery of protein drugs that have very limited oral bioavailability. Orally administered NPs could be absorbed by the epithelial tissue only if they successfully permeate through the mucus that covers the epithelium. However, efficient epithelial absorption and mucus permeation require very different surface properties of a nanocarrier.

Obstructive sleep apnea promotes cancer development and progression: a concise review.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea (OSA) is an increasingly common sleep disorder which is widely accepted to be associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. OSA is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular disease, and metabolic disease. Recently, several studies have demonstrated that patients with OSA have a higher prevalence of cancer and cancer-related mortality.

Perfusion and Diffusion Abnormalities of Multiple Sclerosis Lesions and Relevance of Classified Lesions to Disease Status.

Objective: Hemodynamic abnormality and disruption of white matter (WM) integrity are significant components in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. However, the roles of stratified lesions with distinct degrees of hemodynamic and structural injury in disease states remain to be explored. We tested the hypothesis that hemodynamic and structural impairment, as assessed by cerebral blood volume (CBV) and fractional anisotropy (FA), respectively, characterizes the extent of tissue injury, and the load of lesion with substantial tissue destruction would reflect the disease status and therefore, would be related to clinical disability.