Establishment and validation of a diagnostic nomogram for significant histopathologic changes of hepatic injury in HBV-infected patients.

Background: Significant histopathologic changes of hepatic injury (SHCHI) play a decisive role in evaluating the condition and initiating antiviral in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients, especially those with normal or mildly elevated alanine transaminase levels. Considering that non-invasive methods were established through experience with chronic hepatitis C, the aim of this study was to establish and verify a nomogram based on hepatitis B for diagnosing SHCHI.

Methods: Three hundred eighty-four patients who fulfilled requirements for participation were randomly assigned to training cohort (n=270) and validation cohort (n=114) according to 7:3.

Pemigatinib in previously treated Chinese patients with locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma carrying FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements: A phase II study.

Objective: This study evaluated the antitumor activity and safety of pemigatinib in previously treated Chinese patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusions or rearrangements.

Background: Pemigatinib provided clinical benefits for previously treated patients with cholangiocarcinoma carrying FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements and was approved for this indication in multiple countries.

Methods: In this ongoing, multicenter, single-arm, phase II study, adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma carrying centrally confirmed FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements who had progressed on ≥1 systemic therapy received 13.

[Retrospective Study of Mite-Specific Subcutaneous Immunotherapy in Children].

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy and influencing factors of children receiving mite-specific subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of children who had received mite SCIT for 3 years at the Desensitization Center of our hospital. We used the daily medication score (DMS) to evaluate the medication use status (the higher the score, the higher the amount of medications given and the less satisfactorily was the primary disease controlled) and we used the visual analogue scale (VAS) to evaluate clinical symptoms (the higher the score, the more severe the symptoms).

Muricauda chongwuensis sp. nov., isolated from coastal seawater of China.

In the course of screening for bacterial predators, a Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, gliding, long rod-shaped, and yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated strain HICW, was isolated from coastal seawater of China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain HICW represented a member of the genus Muricauda and showed the highest sequence similarity to M. aquimarina JCM11811 (98.

Activation of Hippo signaling pathway mediates mitochondria dysfunction and dilated cardiomyopathy in mice.

Mitochondrial dysfunction facilitates heart failure development forming a therapeutic target, but the mechanism involved remains unclear. We studied whether the Hippo signaling pathway mediates mitochondrial abnormalities that results in onset of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Mice with DCM due to overexpression of Hippo pathway kinase Mst1 were studied.

Intestinal Models for Personalized Medicine: from Conventional Models to Microfluidic Primary Intestine-on-a-chip.

Intestinal dysfunction is frequently driven by abnormalities of specific genes, microbiota, or microenvironmental factors, which usually differ across individuals, as do intestinal physiology and pathology. Therefore, it's necessary to develop personalized therapeutic strategies, which are currently limited by the lack of a simulated intestine model. The mature human intestinal mucosa is covered by a single layer of columnar epithelial cells that are derived from intestinal stem cells (ISCs).

sp. nov., a novel prokaryotic predator isolated from coastal seawater of China.

Three prokaryotic predator strains, BL9, BL10 and BL28, were isolated with from coastal seawater of PR China. Cells of the strains were Gram-negative, vibrioid-shaped and motile with a single sheathed flagellum (25-28 nm wide). Cells were around 0.

Acute exposure to deoxynivalenol inhibits porcine enteroid activity via suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

The intake of food containing deoxynivalenol frequently causes damage to the intestine, the renewal of which is driven by intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Nevertheless, the toxicity of deoxynivalenol on ISCs and its underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. As pigs are the most sensitive animals to deoxynivalenol, we used piglets for investigation in this study.

Draft Genome Sequence of an Extracellular Protease-Producing Bacterium, VV6, Isolated from Arctic Seawater.

The draft genome sequence of the extracellular protease-producing bacterium VV6, isolated from Arctic seawater, was established. The genome size was approximately 4.365 Mb, with a G+C content of 66.

α-chymotrypsin activated and stabilized by self-assembled polypseudorotaxane fabricated with bis-thiolated poly(ethylene glycol) and α-cyclodextrin: Spectroscopic and mechanistic analysis.

The self-assembled polypseudorotaxane (PPRX) fabricated with bis-thiolated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and α-cyclodextrin (α-CyD) acted as an activator for α-chymotrypsin (CT) and retained the activity of CT for a long time up to 7days. The stabilization mechanism was studied, and the interaction between CT and PPRX was analyzed by using circular dichroism, fluorescence spectra and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The bis-thiolated PEG and its assembled PPRX with α-CyD exhibited the interaction with the C-terminal region of the CT's B-chain probably through PEGylation of the surface disulfide bridge of CT.

Erythropoietin improves glucose metabolism and pancreatic β-cell damage in experimental diabetic rats.

Previous studies have implicated erythropoietin (EPO) signaling in the regulation of glucose metabolism. Whether EPO can be used treat diabetes and the underlying mechanism remain to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate whether EPO affects glucose metabolism, and the underlying mechanisms, in experimental diabetic rats.

Growth of embryo and gene expression of nutrient transporters in the small intestine of the domestic pigeon (Columba livia).

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between gene expression of nutrient (amino acid, peptide, sodium and proton) transporters in the small intestine and embryonic growth in domestic pigeons (Columba livia). One hundred and twenty-five fertilized eggs were randomly assigned into five groups and were incubated under optimal conditions (temperature of 38.1 °C and relative humidity of 55%).

Impairment of myocardial mitochondria in viral myocardial disease and its reflective window in peripheral cells.

Background: Viral myocardial disease (VMD) is a common disease inducing heart failure. It has not been clear the roles of mitochondrial damage in the pathological changes of cardiomyocytes in VMD.

Methods: Myocardial tissues and lymphocytes were collected from 83 VMD patients.

Low concentration of serum helps to maintain the characteristics of NSCs/NPCs on alkali-treated PHBHHx film in vitro.

Objective: Efforts have been made by tissue engineers to create a permissive environment for neural regeneration, and to enhance the efficiency of neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation. However, to acquire sufficient number of seed cells on the material appears to be the main obstacle to constructing functional transplantable NSC-biomaterial complexes. A culture system has been optimized in the current study to maintain the specific characteristics of NSCs/neural progenitor cells (NPCs) on the material and achieve sustaining increased multipotent seed cells.

[Preparation of freeze-dried powder of recombinate hirudin-2 nanoparticle for nasal delivery and permeability through nasal membrane in vitro].

Objective: To optimize the freeze-dried powder preparation technology of recombinate hirudin-2 (rHV2) nanoparticle which has bio-adhesive characteristic for nasal delivery, also to investigate its stability and permeability through nasal membrane in vitro.

Methods: Taking the appearance, rediffusion of nanoparticle and rHV2 encapsulation efficiency as the evaluation indexes. Cryoprotector, the preparative technique and the effect of illumination and high temperature factors on its stability for rHV2 freeze-dried powder were investigated.

Liraglutide ameliorates glycometabolism and insulin resistance through the upregulation of GLUT4 in diabetic KKAy mice.

Liraglutide, a long-lasting glucagon‑like peptide‑1 analogue, has been used for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus since 2009. In this study, we investigated the anti-diabetic effects and mechanisms of action of liraglutide in a spontaneous diabetic animal model, using KK/Upj-Ay/J (KKAy) mice. The KKAy mice were divided into 2 groups, the liraglutide group (mice were treated with 250 µg/kg/day liraglutide) and the model group (treated with an equivalent amount of normal saline).

Transparent luminescent bulk nanocomposites of polysiloxane embedded with CdS nanocrystallines by a direct dispersion process.

Transparent luminescent bulk nanocomposites of polysiloxane (PSO) embedded with semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) have been fabricated by the direct dispersion of CdS NCs in alkyl-(poly)siloxane (APS) followed by co-polymerization. The non-polar characteristics of the APS precursor are compatible with the CdS NC surface (oleylamine), which allows the direct dispersion of the CdS NCs without the need of any surfactant exchange. Chemical crosslinking of the NC-APS dispersion via hydrosilylation between Si-H and the vinyl group in APS immobilizes the CdS NCs in the polysiloxane network.

Distribution of Vibrio alginolyticus-like species in Shenzhen coastal waters, China.

We investigated the distribution of vibrios in Shenzhen coastal waters in order to obtain valuable information for the aquaculture industry and a health warning system. Quantities of vibrios from surface waters ranged from 0 to 4.40×10(4) CFUs mL(-1) in April (spring), while from 0 to 2.

Influence of 14-day hind limb unloading on isolated muscle spindle activity in rats.

During hind limb unloading (HU), the soleus is often in a shortened position and the natural physiological stimulus of muscle spindles is altered, such that muscle spindle activity also changes. Using isolated spindle conditions, the present study investigates the electrophysiological activity and ultrastructure of muscle spindles following HU. Results show that muscle spindle discharges fall into either of two main patterns, single spikes or spike clusters in shortened positions, with a steady frequency of 18-38 spikes/s (mean 29.

[Epimedium alleviates chemotherapy-induced damage to the ultrastructure and function of rat epididymides].

Objective: To investigate the protective action of Epimedium against chemotherapy-induced damage to rat epididymides.

Methods: Fifty 60-day-old male rats were divided into a control, a model and a treatment group. Procarbazine was injected into the abdominal cavity of the model rats at the dose of 30 mg/(kg x d).

[Promoting mechanism of enhancers and transport pathway of large hydrophilic molecular across nasal epithelium studied by ESR and CLSM technologies].

The aim of this study is to investigate absorption-promoting mechanism of enhancers and the transport pathway of large hydrophilous molecular across rat nasal epithelium by electron spin resonance (ESR) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) technologies. In the experiment, recombinant hirudin-2 (rHV2) was chosen as a large hydrophilic molecular model drug. After nasal administration in rats the bioavailability of rHV2 with or without various enhancers was compared.