Survival Predictors for Severe ARDS Patients Treated with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Retrospective Study in China.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly being applied as life support for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. However, the outcomes of this procedure have not yet been characterized in severe ARDS patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of severe ARDS patients supported with ECMO and to identify potential predictors of mortality in these patients.

Effects of salt stress on eco-physiological characteristics in Robinia pseudoacacia based on salt-soil rhizosphere.

Robinia pseudoacacia is the main arbor species in the coastal saline-alkali area of the Yellow River Delta. Because most studies focus on the aboveground parts, detailed information regarding root functioning under salinity is scare. Root traits of seedlings of R.

Improving Health Care Providers' Capacity for Self-Regulated Learning in Online Continuing Pharmacy Education: The Role of Internet Self-Efficacy.

Introduction: Although Internet-based learning is widely used to improve health professionals' knowledge and skills, the self-regulated learning (SRL) activities of online continuing education in pharmacy are seldom discussed. The main purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between pharmacists' Internet self-efficacy (ISE) and their SRL in online continuing education.

Methods: A total of 164 in-service pharmacists in Taiwan were surveyed with the Internet Self-Efficacy Survey, including basic ISE (B-ISE), advanced ISE (A-ISE) and professional ISE (P-ISE), as well as the Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire consisting of preparatory SRL (P-SRL) and enactment SRL (E-SRL).

Contribution of the pod wall to seed grain filling in alfalfa.

Three genotypes of alfalfa viz. Medicago sativa (Zhongmu No. 1, Zhongmu No.

Both visual and fluorescent sensors for Zn(2+) based on bis(pyrrol-2-yl-methyleneamine) platform.

Two bis(pyrrol-2-yl-methyleneamine) chemo-sensors, 1, 3- and 1, 4-bis[3,4-dimethyl-5-ethyloxy -carbonyl-pyrrol-2-yl-methyleneamine]benzene (H2L(1) and H2L(2), respectively) have been synthesized and characterized, which exhibit high selectivity as off-on fluorescence sensors toward Zn(2+) in CH3CN/H2O (9:1, v/v) solution. The detection limits of both sensors are at the parts per million level. Moreover, the probes H2L(1) and H2L(2) could sense Zn(2+) by "naked eye" with a color change from colorless to yellow, and from yellow to dark yellow, respectively.

Pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, metabolism and excretion of δ-viniferin in rats.

A highly rapid and sensitive liquid chromatographic-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of trans-δ-viniferin (Rs-1) in rat plasma, urine and feces. All biological samples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction and hesperetin was included as an internal standard (IS). Chromatographic separation was achieved on a shim-pack XR-ODS column using a gradient mobile phase.

Extracellular miRNA-21 as a novel biomarker in glioma: Evidence from meta-analysis, clinical validation and experimental investigations.

Evidence is accumulating highlighting the importance of extracellular miRNA as a novel biomarker for diagnosing various kinds of malignancies. MiR-21 is one of the most studied miRNAs and is over-expressed in cancer tissues. To explore the clinical implications and secretory mechanisms of extracellular miR-21, we firstly meta-analyzed the diagnostic efficiency of extracellular miR-21 in different cancer types.

Cytotoxic Effects of One-step Self-etching Dental Adhesives on Human Periodontal Ligament Fibroblasts In Vitro.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential cytotoxic effects of four one-step self-etching dental adhesives [Adper Easy One (AEO), iBond (IB), Clearfil S³ Bond (CSB), and G-Bond (GB)] on cultured human periodontal ligament fibroblasts.

Materials And Methods: Cured adhesives were immersed in complete DMEM or deionized water and maintained at 37°C for 24 h, followed by sterilization. The deionized water-based extract was used for Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis.

Creating Sub-50 Nm Nanofluidic Junctions in PDMS Microfluidic Chip via Self-Assembly Process of Colloidal Particles.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the prevailing building material to make microfluidic devices due to its ease of molding and bonding as well as its transparency. Due to the softness of the PDMS material, however, it is challenging to use PDMS for building nanochannels. The channels tend to collapse easily during plasma bonding.

Graphdiyne:ZnO Nanocomposites for High-Performance UV Photodetectors.

Graphdiyne (GD), a novel carbon allotrope with a 2D structure comprising benzene rings and carbon-carbon triple bonds, is successfully integrated with ZnO nanoparticles by a wet chemistry method. An ultraviolet photodetector based on these graphdiyne:ZnO nanocomposites exhibits significantly enhanced performance in comparison with a conventional ZnO device. GD may have diverse applications in future optoelectronics.

Cloning and Transformation of EeHKT1;4 Gene from Elytrigia elongata.

The EeHKT1;4 gene was firstly cloned from Elytrigia elongata by RT-PCR technique with 1977 bp full-length cDNA encoding 1722 bp open reading frame (ORF) and 573 amino acids. The PCR fragment of EeHKT1;4 gene was inserted into the binary vector pBI121 and got the resulted expression vector, which named pBI121-35S-EeHKT1;4-Nos. The vector was further transformed into the agrobacterium EHA105, and then EeHKT1;4 gene was transferred into tobacco by the Agrobaterium- mediated genetic transformation method.

[Carbon Source Utilization Characteristics of Soil Microbial Community for Apple Orchard with Interplanting Herbage].

As soil fertility in apple orchard with clean tillage is declined continuously, interplanting herbage in orchard, which is a new orchard management model, plays an important role in improving orchard soil conditions. By using biolog micro-plate technique, this paper studied the functional diversity of soil microbial community under four species of management model in apple orchards, including clear tillage model, interplanting white clover model, interplanting small crown flower model and interplanting cocksfoot model, and the carbon source utilization characteristics of microbial community were explored, which could provide a reference for revealing driving mechanism of ecological process of orchard soil. The results showed that the functional diversity of microbial community had a significant difference among different treatments and in the order of white clover > small crown flower > cocksfoot > clear tillage.

Protective effect of alpha-mangostin against oxidative stress induced-retinal cell death.

It is known that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pathogenesis. Alpha-mangostin is the main xanthone purified from mangosteen known as anti-oxidative properties. The aim of the study was to test the protective effect of alpha-mangostin against oxidative stress both in retina of light-damaged mice model and in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-stressed RPE cells.

Dispensing of high concentration Ag nano-particles ink for ultra-low resistivity paper-based writing electronics.

Paper-based writing electronics has received a lot of interest recently due to its potential applications in flexible electronics. To obtain ultra-low resistivity paper-based writing electronics, we developed a kind of ink with high concentration of Ag Nano-particles (up to 80 wt%), as well as a related dispensing writing system consisting an air compressor machine and a dispenser. Additionally, we also demonstrated the writability and practical application of our proposed ink and writing system.

Azilsartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, attenuates tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced endothelial cell injury through inhibition of mitochondrial dysfunction and anti-inflammatory activity.

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-R) blockers protect against brain ischemia by mechanisms dependent on and independent of arterial blood pressure. However, the effects of AT1-R blockers on brain endothelial cell injury and detailed mechanisms remain unclear. The goal of this study is to investigate whether azilsartan, an AT1-R blocker, could attenuate oxidative injury in endothelial cells via regulating mitochondrial function and inflammatory responses.

Whole genome sequencing identified new somatic mutations for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

Objective: We aimed to gain new insight into the molecular alterations of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML).

Patients And Methods: We performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and subsequent Sanger sequencing validation analysis in three individuals with CMML. Genomic DNA samples from bone marrow and matching buccal mucosa samples were sequenced.

Apolipoprotein E polymorphism and the risk of intracranial aneurysms in a Chinese population.

Background: The relationship between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism and intracranial aneurysms has previously only been studied in Russia and Japan but not in Chinese populations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between APOE polymorphism and the risk of intracranial aneurysms in a Chinese population.

Methods: The study population consisted of 150 intracranial aneurysms patients and 150 matched control subjects.

Multi-channel lock-in amplifier assisted femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence non-collinear optical parametric amplification spectroscopy with efficient rejection of superfluorescence background.

Superfluorescence appears as an intense background in femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence noncollinear optical parametric amplification spectroscopy, which severely interferes the reliable acquisition of the time-resolved fluorescence spectra especially for an optically dilute sample. Superfluorescence originates from the optical amplification of the vacuum quantum noise, which would be inevitably concomitant with the amplified fluorescence photons during the optical parametric amplification process. Here, we report the development of a femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence non-collinear optical parametric amplification spectrometer assisted with a 32-channel lock-in amplifier for efficient rejection of the superfluorescence background.

Bacteria Isolated From Respiratory Tract Specimens of Renal Recipients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Due to Pneumonia: Epidemiology and Susceptibility of the Strains.

Objective: We estimated species distribution and frequency of antimicrobial resistance among bacterial pathogens isolated from respiratory tract specimens of renal recipients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to pneumonia.

Methods: We retrospectively collected patient demographics and clinical characteristics and microbiologic culture data with the use of standard microbiologic procedures and commercially available tests.

Results: From January 2001 to August 2014, 320 respiratory tract specimens were obtained from 94 renal recipients with ARDS.

Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein CIRP/hnRNP A18 regulates telomerase activity in a temperature-dependent manner.

The telomerase is responsible for adding telomeric repeats to chromosomal ends and consists of the reverse transcriptase TERT and the RNA subunit TERC. The expression and activity of the telomerase are tightly regulated, and aberrant activation of the telomerase has been observed in >85% of human cancers. To better understand telomerase regulation, we performed immunoprecipitations coupled with mass spectrometry (IP-MS) and identified cold inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP or hnRNP A18) as a telomerase-interacting factor.

Cryoablation Versus Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatic Malignancies: A Systematic Review and Literature-Based Analysis.

The aim of this study is to summarize and quantify the current evidence on the therapeutic efficacy of cryoablation compared with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with hepatic malignancies in a meta-analysis.Data were collected by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases for reports published up to May 26, 2015. Studies that reported data on comparisons of therapeutic efficacy of cryoablation and RFA were included.

Sepsis and ARDS: The Dark Side of Histones.

Despite advances in management over the last several decades, sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) still remain major clinical challenges and the leading causes of death for patients in intensive care units (ICUs) due to insufficient understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of these diseases. However, recent studies have shown that histones, also known as chromatin-basic structure proteins, could be released into the extracellular space during severe stress and physical challenges to the body (e.g.

Pharmacokinetic analysis and tissue distribution of Vam3 in the rat by a validated LC-MS/MS method.

Vam3 is a potential pharmacologically active ingredient isolated from Vitis amurensis Rupr. A rapid, simple and sensitive method to determine Vam3 levels in rat plasma and tissue was developed based on LC-MS/MS. Vam3 and an internal standard (IS) were chromatographed on a C18 short column with acetonitrile-0.

Isolation and characterization of a Far-Eastern strain of tick-borne encephalitis virus in China.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a leading cause of human neurological infection in many parts of Europe and Asia. Although several TBEV isolates have been reported, current understanding of the biological characteristics of a Chinese strain is limited. In this study, a Far-Eastern strain of TBEV designated WH2012 was isolated in northern China.