Study of GABA in Healthy Volunteers: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics.

Preclinical studies show that GABA exerts anti-diabetic effects in rodent models of type 1 diabetes. Because little is known about its absorption and effects in humans, we investigated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of GABA in healthy volunteers. Twelve subjects were subjected to an open-labeled, three-period trial involving sequential oral administration of placebo, 2 g GABA once, and 2 g GABA three times/day for 7 days, with a 7-day washout between each period.

Antinociceptive effects induced by intra-lateral habenula complex injection of the galanin receptor 1 agonist M617 in rats.

The present study was performed to explore the antinociceptive effects of the galanin receptor 1 agonist M617 in lateral habenula complex in rats. Intra-lateral habenula injection of 0.1, 0.

Pollen-mediated gene flow from transgenic cotton under greenhouse conditions is dependent on different pollinators.

With the large-scale release of genetically modified (GM) crops, there are ecological concerns on transgene movement from GM crops to non-GM counterparts and wild relatives. In this research, we conducted greenhouse experiments to measure pollen-mediated gene flow (PGF) in the absence and presence of pollinators (Bombus ignitus, Apis mellifera and Pieris rapae) in one GM cotton (resistant to the insect Helicoverpa armigera and the herbicide glyphosate) and two non-GM lines (Shiyuan321 and Hai7124) during 2012 and 2013. Our results revealed that: (1) PGF varied depending on the pollinator species, and was highest with B.

Ordered Polypyrrole Nanowire Arrays Grown on a Carbon Cloth Substrate for a High-Performance Pseudocapacitor Electrode.

Highly aligned nanoarchitecture arrays directly grown on conducting substrates open up a new direction to accelerate Faradaic reactions for charge storage as well as address "dead volume" limitations for high-performance pseudocapacitor electrodes. Here we reported the electrochemical fabrication of well-ordered polypyrrole (PPy) nanowire arrays (NWAs) on surfaces of carbon fibers in an untreated carbon cloth to construct hierarchical structures constituted by the three-dimensional conductive carbon fiber skeleton and the atop well-ordered electroactive polymer nanowires. The morphologies, wetting behaviors, and charge-storage performances of the polymer were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, contact-angle measurement, cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Sequence analysis, expression profiles and function of thioredoxin 2 and thioredoxin reductase 1 in resistance to nucleopolyhedrovirus in Helicoverpa armigera.

The thioredoxin system, including NADPH, thioredoxin (Trx), and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), plays significant roles in maintaining intracellular redox homeostasis and protecting organisms against oxidative damage. In this study, the characteristics and functions of H. armigera HaTrx2 and HaTrxR1 were identified.

Chemical-Bond-Mediated p-n Heterojunction Photocatalyst Constructed from Coordination Polymer Nanoparticles and a Conducting Copolymer: Visible-Light Active and Highly Efficient.

A visible-light-active p-n heterojunction photocatalyst has been synthesized by the enwrapping of poly[aniline-co-N-(4-sulfophenyl)aniline] (PAPSA) on a coordination polymer nanoparticle (NCP). Compared with the visible-light-inactive NCP, the new p-n heterojunction photocatalyst, PAPSA/NCP, exhibits a much higher efficiency in the reduction of Cr(VI) under visible light. PAPSA performs two functions in this p-n heterojunction photocatalyst.

Quercetin interacts with Cry1Ac protein to affect larval growth and survival of Helicoverpa armigera.

Background: Bt cotton has been widely planted in China for over a decade to control H. armigera, but field surveys indicate increasing resistance in the pest. It has been speculated that accumulating plant secondary compounds in mature cotton may interact with Bt toxins and affect the toxicity of Bt to H.

Attitudes in China about Crops and Foods Developed by Biotechnology.

Transgenic Bt cotton has been planted in China since 1997 and, in 2009, biosafety certificates for the commercial production of Bt rice and phytase corn were issued by the Chinese government. The public attitude in China toward agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) crops and foods has received considerable attention worldwide. We investigated the attitudes of consumers, Bt cotton farmers and scientists in China regarding GM crops and foods and the factors influencing their attitudes.

An efficient p-n heterojunction photocatalyst constructed from a coordination polymer nanoplate and a partically reduced graphene oxide for visible-light hydrogen production.

A new p-n heterojunction photocatalyst has been synthesized successfully through chemical-bond-mediated combination of coordination polymer nanoplates (CPNPs) and partially reduced graphene oxide (PRGO) with a simple colloidal blending process. Photocatalytic H2 production by the p-n heterojunction photocatalyst PRGO/CPNP was investigated under visible-light irradiation, which illustrates that PRGO/CPNP exhibits a much higher photocatalytic H2 production rate than neat the CPNPs. The improvement of this photocatalytic property can be attributed to the inner electrical field formed in the p-n heterojunction, which impedes recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes.

The Cost of Responding to an Acinetobacter Outbreak in Critically Ill Surgical Patients.

Background: Our institution had an outbreak of multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter (MDRA) in 2011. We analyzed the costs of responding to this outbreak from the hospital's perspective.

Methods: We estimated retrospectively the excess costs associated with an MDRA outbreak response at a major academic medical center, including the costs of staffing, supplies, administrative time, deep cleaning, and environmental testing.

Circulating MicroRNA-146a and MicroRNA-21 Predict Left Ventricular Remodeling after ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Objectives: MicroRNA (miR)-146a and miR-21 have been reported to participate in inflammatory reactions and fibrosis.Excessive inflammation and cardiac fibrosis may play important roles in the development of left ventricular remodeling(LVR). This study assessed whether miR-146a, miR-21 and other biomarkers could predict LVR after myocardial infarction(MI).

Molecular characterization and functional analysis of the ultraspiracle (USP) in the oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae).

Ecdysteroids play an important role in the growth, development, and reproduction of insects. The ecdysteroid signal is transduced through a heterodimeric complex of two nuclear receptors: the ecdysone receptor (EcR) and the ultraspiracle (USP). To investigate the role of USP during the development of Grapholita molesta, ultraspiracle (USP) cDNA was obtained from the transcriptome of G.

Digital gene expression analysis of Helicoverpa armigera in the early stage of infection with Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus.

Helicoverpa armigera single nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) is an obligatory and lethal parasite of the cotton bollworm and has been extensively used in China for the control of this notorious pest. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis was adopted for an overall comparison of transcriptome profiling between HearNPV-infected and control healthy Helicoverpa armigera larvae during an early stage post-inoculation. A total of 908 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 136 were up-regulated and 597 were down-regulated.

MicroRNA and transcription factor mediated regulatory network analysis reveals critical regulators and regulatory modules in myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a severe coronary artery disease and a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms of MI have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we compiled MI-related genes, MI-related microRNAs (miRNAs) and known human transcription factors (TFs), and we then identified 1,232 feed-forward loops (FFLs) among these miRNAs, TFs and their co-regulated target genes through integrating target prediction.

Laboratory Evaluation of Acute Toxicity of the Essential Oil of Allium tuberosum Leaves and Its Selected Major Constituents Against Apolygus lucorum (Hemiptera: Miridae).

The aim of this research was to evaluate acute toxicity of the essential oil of leaves of Chinese chives, Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng (Asparagales: Alliaceae) and its major constituents against Apolygus lucorum Meyer-Dür (Hemiptera: Miridae). The essential oil of A. tuberosum leaves was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Identification of a thioredoxin peroxidase gene involved in resistance to nucleopolyhedrovirus infection in Helicoverpa armigera with RNA interference.

Thioredoxin peroxidases (Tpxs) play a crucial role in protection against oxidative damage in several insect species. However, studies on the characteristics and functions of Tpxs in Helicoverpa armigera are lacking. In this study, a novel 2-Cys Tpx gene from H.

A Single-Center Multidisciplinary Initiative to Reduce Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Rates: Quality and Financial Implications.

Introduction: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is an important patient safety issue that is responsible for an estimated 449334 annual infections, with an average direct cost of $790-$1200 per infection. In total, the cost associated with CAUTI is estimated to be $115 million to $1.82 billion annually.

Implementation of Measures to Improve SCIP Perioperative Beta-Blocker Compliance: Quality and Financial Implications.

Introduction: The Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) was launched in 2005. One of the SCIP metrics includes perioperative beta-blocker guideline (CARD-2), which measures the percentage of patients on a pre-operative beta-blocker with continued use in the perioperative period. Compliance is intended to decrease rates of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiac mortality among high-risk patients.

The role of Delta-like 4 ligand/Notch-ephrin-B2 cascade in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia by regulating functions of endothelial progenitor cell.

Introduction: Preeclampsia is a hypertensive complication in pregnancy, closely related to endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have the capacity for endothelial repair. Both Ephrin-B2 and Dll4/Notch pathway play critical roles in various steps of angiogenesis.

Stress Responses of Small Heat Shock Protein Genes in Lepidoptera Point to Limited Conservation of Function across Phylogeny.

The small heat shock protein (sHsp) family is thought to play an important role in protein refolding and signal transduction, and thereby protect organisms from stress. However little is known about sHsp function and conservation across phylogenies. In the current study, we provide a comprehensive assessment of small Hsp genes and their stress responses in the oriental fruit moth (OFM), Grapholita molesta.

[Investigation on the current status of oral health care in the disease controls system in Sichuan Province].

Objective: To analyze the status and characteristics of dental manpower in the center for disease controls (CDC) in Sichuan Province and to provide more evidence for strengthening the oral healthcare workforce in the CDC system.

Methods: A mass survey on dental manpower was made in CDCs in Sichuan Province through questionnaire investigation. Data were collected and entered with the Epidemiological Dynamic Data Collection (EDDC) platform and analyzed with SPSS 13.

Identification of the Population Structure of Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Peach Trees in China Using Microsatellites.

In this study, we characterized the genetic structure of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) populations in China using microsatellites. We expected that these data will reveal the genetic relationships among various populations of M. persicae and will be of value in the development of better methods for pest control.

Gender-Specific Differences in Clinical Profile and Biochemical Parameters in Patients with Cushing's Disease: A Single Center Experience.

Cushing's disease (CD) is remarkably prevalent among females; however, more severe clinical presentation and adverse outcomes have been found in males. The purpose of this study was to investigate the overall clinical profile and biochemical parameters in patients with CD to identify the gender differences. Here we describe our series of CD patients referred to our medical center during 2012-2013.

Identification of key genes and pathways in renal cell carcinoma through expression profiling data.

Background/aims: To isolate key genes and pathways in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which might reveal more evidences on the regulation network and contribute to pathogenic mechanisms of RCC.

Methods: Microarray data of GSE34676, GSE23926 and GSE48008 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs were respectively screened using Limma package, followed by the selection of CNV associated genes and miRNAs.