A K(ow)-based QSAR model for predicting toxicity of halogenated benzenes to all algae regardless of species.

In this study, a total of 40 tests of the toxicity of 8 halogenated benzenes to five algal species were performed. The result demonstrated that the toxicity of halogenated benzenes to five algal species was directly related to the hydrophobicity of the chemicals and the lipid content of the algae. Based on the results, we developed a K(ow)-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model: log(1/EC₅₀) = 1.

Cumulative mechanisms of lymphoid tissue fibrosis and T cell depletion in HIV-1 and SIV infections.

The hallmark of HIV-1 and SIV infections is CD4(+) T cell depletion. Both direct cell killing and indirect mechanisms related to immune activation have been suggested to cause the depletion of T cells. We have now identified a mechanism by which immune activation-induced fibrosis of lymphoid tissues leads to depletion of naive T cells in HIV-1 infected patients and SIV-infected rhesus macaques.

[Antagonistic effect of N-acetylcysteine on apoptosis of L-02 hepatocyte induced by Cr(VI) with or without caspase inhibitor].

Objective: To explore the antagonistic effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on hexevalent chromium (Cr(VI))-induced apoptosis in L-02 hepatocytes with or without caspase inhibitors.

Methods: L-02 hepatocytes were randomly divided into a control group, and Cr( VI), Z-VAD-fmk + Cr(VI), NAC + Cr(VI), Z-VAD-fmk + NAC + Cr (VI) four treatment groups, in which L-02 hepatocytes were cultured with Cr (VI) at the dose of 20 micromol/L for 6h. The rates of apoptosis in all groups were detected by flow cytometry (FC) after staining with propidium iodide (PI).

Wetting behavior of spherical nanoparticles at a vapor-liquid interface: a density functional theory study.

The wetting behavior of spherical nanoparticles at a vapor-liquid interface is investigated by using density functional theory, and the line tension calculation method is modified by analyzing the total energy of the vapor-liquid-particle equilibrium. Compared with the direct measurement data from simulation, the results reveal that the thermodynamically consistent Young's equation for planar interfaces is still applicable for high curvature surfaces in predicting a wide range of contact angles. The effect of the line tension on the contact angle is further explored, showing that the contact angles given by the original and modified Young's equations are nearly the same within the region of 60° < θ < 120°.

Theoretical study of phase transition, surface tension, and nucleation rate predictions for argon.

In this work, a weighted density functional theory has been used to study the equilibrium and metastable processes for argon. In the theoretical approach, the two- and three-body interactions of the fluid molecules are considered simultaneously, and the renormalization group transformation is applied to address the long-range fluctuations inside the critical region. The global phase equilibria, planar and curvature-dependent surface tensions, critical radius, and nucleation rates of argon are investigated systematically.

Improvement in the accuracy of estimating the time-of-flight in an ultrasonic ranging system using multiple square-root unscented Kalman filters.

The square-root unscented Kalman filter (SRUKF) is applied to identify the shape parameters of an ultrasonic echo envelope. The SRUKF has better stability than the normal unscented Kalman filter (UKF) because the square-root of the error covariance matrix used in the SRUKF guarantees positive semidefiniteness. Considering the effect of the initial state on the convergence speed of filters, the multi-SRUKF is used to estimate the time-of-flight (TOF).

[Expression of SSTR2 and P-STAT3 in human olfactory neuroblastoma].

Objective: To detect the expression and relationship between somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) and phosphorylated STAT3 (P-STAT3) in human olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) and adjacent normal olfactory nerve tissue.

Method: Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was used to detect the expression of SSTR2 and P-STAT3 in tumor and adjacent normal olfactory nerve tissue from 11 ONB patients.

Result: SSTR2 was mainly expressed in cell cytoplasm and the expression intensity was significantly stronger in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues (P<0.

Myoepithelial carcinoma of intraoral minor salivary glands: a clinicopathological study of 7 cases and review of the literature.

Objective: Myoepithelial carcinoma (MC), also known as malignant myoepithelioma, is a rare malignant salivary gland neoplasm with a predilection for the parotid gland. We present the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features of 7 cases of intraoral MC in attempt to better understanding this entity.

Study Design: Seven intraoral MCs were retrieved from the files of the Department of Oral Pathology, School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, during a 10-year period.

Role of TGF-beta1 in bone matrix production in vascular smooth muscle cells induced by a high-phosphate environment.

Aims: We demonstrated a relationship between transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) and production of bone matrix in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by a high-phosphate environment.

Methods: Rat VSMCs were incubated in a high-phosphate (2.5 or 3.

Density functional theory integrated with renormalization group theory for criticality of nanoconfined fluids.

Nanoconfined fluids exhibit complicated behavior such as phase transitions, prewetting, wetting transitions, universal critical properties, and critical point shifts, attributed to the cooperative interactions of short- and long-range density fluctuations. In this work, a theoretical approach, an integrated density functional (DF) and renormalization group (RG) theory, is developed to investigate the critical properties of fluids confined in slit pores or bounded by single wall surfaces. The approach can take into account both the local and the long-range density fluctuations of confined fluids self-consistently.

The proteome of Shigella flexneri 2a 2457T grown at 30 and 37 degrees C.

To upgrade the proteome reference map of Shigella flexneri 2a 2457T, the protein expression profiles of log phase and stationary phase cells grown at 30 and 37 degrees C were thoroughly analyzed using multiple overlapping narrow pH range (between pH 4.0 and 11.0) two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

[Effect of aerosolized STAT1 antisense oligonucleotides on the expressions of cytokines and collagens in lung tissue of pulmonary fibrosis rats induced by bleomycin].

Objective: To investigate the effects of aerosolized signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) antisense oligonucleotides (ASON) on the expressions of TGF-beta(1), PAI-1, collagen Type I and III and hydroxyproline in lung tissue of pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin (BLM) in rats.

Methods: Forty-five adult female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal saline (NS) group, BLM group and ASON group. The BLM group and the ASON group were intratracheally instilled with BLM while the NS group was instilled with NS.

Global genomic analysis reveals rapid control of a robust innate response in SIV-infected sooty mangabeys.

Natural SIV infection of sooty mangabeys (SMs) is nonprogressive despite chronic virus replication. Strikingly, it is characterized by low levels of immune activation, while pathogenic SIV infection of rhesus macaques (RMs) is associated with chronic immune activation. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this intriguing phenotype, we used high-density oligonucleotide microarrays to longitudinally assess host gene expression in SIV-infected SMs and RMs.

[Less invasive fixation for the treatment of comminuted fracture of distal tibia].

Objective: To study the result of less invasive fixation in treating comminuted fracture of distal tibia.

Methods: From 2002 to 2008, 48 patients with comminuted fracture of distal tibia were treated with surgery. The closed reduction and less invasive fixation were done to stable broken fibula, and the reduction by Kirschner wire to pick was used for relatively larger debris of tibia.

Rapid muscle atrophy response to unloading: pretranslational processes involving MHC and actin.

Skeletal muscles, especially weight-bearing muscles, are very sensitive to changes in loading state. The aim of this paper was to characterize the dynamic changes in the unloaded soleus muscle in vivo following a short bout of hindlimb suspension (HS), testing the hypothesis that transcriptional events respond early to the atrophic stimulus. In fact, we observed that after only 1 day of HS, primary transcript levels of skeletal alpha-actin and type I myosin heavy chain (MHC) genes were significantly reduced by more than 50% compared with ground control levels.

[Therapeutic effects of aerosolized signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 antisense oligonucleotide administered at different time points on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis: experiment with rats].

Objective: To investigate the curative effects of inhaling signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) antisense oligonucleotide (ASON) on alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis and the best administration time.

Methods: Twenty-five adult female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 equal groups: BLM group, undergoing intra-tracheal perfusion of BLM so as to establish animal models of alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis and then inhaling aerosolized normal saline (NS); NS group undergoing intra-tracheal perfusion of NS and then inhaling aerosolized NS; ASON 0 d group, undergoing intra-tracheal perfusion of BLM and then inhaling aerosolized STAT1 ASON 3 ml immediately; ASON 7 d group, undergoing intra-tracheal perfusion of BLM and then inhaling STAT1 ASON 3 ml 7 days later; and ASON 14 d group undergoing intra-tracheal perfusion of BLM and then inhaling aerosolized STAT1 ASON 3 ml 14 days later. Aerosolized inhalation was repeated once every other day for 4 times.

[Effect of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides on inflammatory mediators, type I and type III collagen mRNA of rat pulmonary fibrosis].

Aim: To investigate the effect of aerosolized signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ASON) on the expression of inflammatory mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and typeI and typeIII collagen mRNA of the bleomycin-induced rat pulmonary fibrosis.

Methods: 45 adult female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal saline (NS) group, bleomycin (BLM) group and ASON group. BLM group and ASON group were intratracheally instilled with bleomycin (BLM) while NS group was instilled with NS.

A 7-year study of lamivudine therapy for hepatitis B virus e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients in China.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of lamivudine treatment for chronic hepatitis B and the impact of emergence of YMDD mutation of hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Methods: A total of 429 patients with serum HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA positive were randomized to receive either lamivudine 100 mg daily or a placebo in a 3:1 ratio for the first 12 weeks. Thereafter, all patients were administered with lamivudine 100 mg/d for 5 years and followed up for 2 years.

The effects of aerosolized STAT1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides on rat pulmonary fibrosis.

Previous study showed that aerosolized signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASON) inhibited the expression of STAT1 and ICAM-1 mRNA and protein in alveolar macrophages (AMs) and decreased the concentrations of TGF-beta, PDGF and TNF-alpha in bronchioalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in bleomycin (BLM)-induced rat pulmonary fibrosis. Administration of STAT1 ASON ameliorated alveolitis in rat pulmonary fibrosis. However, further investigations are needed to determine whether there is an effect from administration of STAT1 ASON on fibrosis.

A genetic analysis of nitrosative stress.

Nitrosative stress is induced by pathophysiological levels of nitric oxide (NO) and S-nitrosothiols (e.g., S-nitrosoglutathione, GSNO) and arises, at least in significant part, from the nitrosylation of critical protein Cys thiols (S-nitrosylation) and metallocofactors.

Antagonistic potential against pathogenic microorganisms and hydrogen peroxide production of indigenous lactobacilli isolated from vagina of Chinese pregnant women.

Objective: To investigate the indigenous lactobacilli from the vagina of pregnant women and to screen the isolates with antagonistic potential against pathogenic microorganisms.

Methods: The strains were isolated from pregnant women's vagina and identified using the API50CH system. The ability of the isolates to produce hydrogen peroxide was analyzed semi-quantitatively using the TMB-HRP-MRS agar.

[Treatment of floating knee injuries with interlocked intramedullary nailing through a single incision].

Objective: To investigate the technique and clinical effect of interlocked intramedullary nailing through a single incision on the treatment of floating knee injuries.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients of floating knee injuries included 25 male and 13 female with an average age of 35.6 years ranging from 17 to 52 years.

Evaluation of oligosaccharide methods for carbohydrate analysis in a fully human monoclonal antibody and comparison of the results to the monosaccharide composition determination by a novel calculation.

Carbohydrates can change a drug's properties including solubility, affinity towards antigen, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Due to this importance, carbohydrate composition is utilized as a parameter to evaluate a drug candidate's quality. In this study, the compositional monosaccharides of a drug candidate are measured by HPAEC-PAD, while the oligosaccharides are studied by HPAEC-PAD, CE-LIF and LC-MS.

QSAR for predicting joint toxicity of halogenated benzenes to Dicrateria zhanjiangensis.

In this study, the toxicity of 49 mixed halogenated benzenes to Dicrateria zhanjiangensis was determined and the partition coefficient of these mixtures was described by using the C(18)-Empore disks/water partition coefficient (K(mix)). According to these data, a simple K(mix)-based QSAR model was successfully used to correlate the toxicity of the mixed halogenated benzenes to D. zhanjiangensis.

Study on treatment of coking wastewater by biofilm reactors combined with zero-valent iron process.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the behavior of the integrated system with biofilm reactors and zero-valent iron (ZVI) process for coking wastewater treatment. Particular attention was paid to the performance of the integrated system for removal of organic and inorganic nitrogen compounds. Maximal removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH(3)-N) and total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) were up to 96.