Antimicrobial peptide LL-37 along with peptidoglycan drive monocyte polarization toward CD14(high)CD16(+) subset and may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis guttata.

The human cathelicidin LL-37 peptide is overexpressed in psoriasis and has been demonstrated to be a multifunctional modulator of innate immune response elements, including monocytes. Monocytes, categorized into three populations based on the cell surface expression of CD14 and CD16, are activated in psoriasis guttate and are commonly triggered by streptococcal infections. Peptidoglycan (PGN) is a major cell-wall component of streptococcus, and an increasing number of PGN-containing cells have been detected in psoriasis.

Bilateral subclavian vein sheaths for superior vena cava drainage during thoracoscopic repair of atrial septal defects: cosmetic outcomes, safety and effectiveness.

Objective: To investigate the cosmetic outcomes, safety and effectiveness of using bilateral subclavian vein sheaths for superior vena cava drainage during thoracoscopic repair of atrial septal defects.

Methods: Sixty-one consecutive adults scheduled for thoracoscopic repair of atrial septal defects between July 2012 and June 2013 were randomized into two groups: one group underwent placement of a 16 Fr percutaneous superior vena cava cannula (n = 30) and the other group underwent placement of bilateral 8 Fr subclavian vein sheaths (n = 31) for superior vena cava drainage during peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass. The perioperative data, central venous pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass, complications and the patient satisfaction scale scores for the incisions were compared between the two groups.

Discovery of novel N-(5-(tert-butyl)isoxazol-3-yl)-N'-phenylurea analogs as potent FLT3 inhibitors and evaluation of their activity against acute myeloid leukemia in vitro and in vivo.

FLT3 inhibitors have been explored as a viable therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the clinical outcomes of these FLT3 inhibitors were underwhelming except AC220. Therefore, the development of novel FLT3 inhibitors with high potency against both FLT3-WT and FLT3-ITD mutants are strongly demanded at the present time.

Structural and biochemical insights into nucleotide-rhamnose synthase/epimerase-reductase from Arabidopsis thaliana.

L-Rhamnose (Rha) is synthesized via a similar enzymatic pathway in bacteria, plants and fungi. In plants, nucleotide-rhamnose synthase/epimerase-reductase (NRS/ER) catalyzes the final step in the conversion of dTDP/UDP-α-D-Glc to dTDP/UDP-β-L-Rha in an NAD(P)H dependent manner. Currently, only biochemical evidence for the function of NRS/ER has been described.

Purification and characterization of a ∼43 kDa antioxidant protein with antitumor activity from Pholiota nameko.

Background: Pholiota nameko water-soluble protein (PNWSP), isolated from the dried fruiting bodies of Pholiota nameko, was purified by a successive chromatographic process using Q anion exchange column, SP cation exchange column and Superdex 200 gel filtration column. PNWSP was assessed for antioxidant activities in different assay systems, and the effect on cell proliferation of human breast cancer MCF7 cells was investigated.

Results: Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and analytical ultracentrifugation analysis revealed the homogeneity of PNWSP with apparent molecular weight of ∼43 kDa, and the identification was confirmed by peptide mass fingerprint analysis.

Isolation and preliminary characterization of proteinaceous toxins with insecticidal and antibacterial activities from black widow spider (L. tredecimguttatus) eggs.

The eggs of black widow spider (L. tredecimguttatus) have been demonstrated to be rich in toxic proteinaceous components. The study on such active components is of theoretical and practical importance.

Increasing body mass index identifies Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at risk of poor outcomes.

Aims: Association between body mass index (BMI) and glycemic control, comorbidities/complications, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) enrolled in the Diabetes Disease Specific Programme.

Methods: Surveys of 200 physicians and 2052 patients with T2DM captured demographic, clinical, and HRQoL information. Adjusted and unadjusted analyses were conducted across 3 BMI groups; normal (18.

Enterovirus 71 infection causes severe pulmonary lesions in gerbils, meriones unguiculatus, which can be prevented by passive immunization with specific antisera.

Neurogenic pulmonary edema caused by severe brainstem encephalitis is the leading cause of death in young children infected by Enterovirus 71 (EV71). However, no pulmonary lesions have been found in EV71-infected transgenic or non-transgenic mouse models. Development of a suitable animal model is important for studying EV71 pathogenesis and assessing effect of therapeutic approaches.

Serum angiopoietin-2 is associated with angiopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of serum levels of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) with angiopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: The group studied comprised of 120 patients with T2DM (68 males and 52 females), included macroangiopathy complications, microvascular disease and diabetic without vascular disease. The control group consisted of 50 healthy blood donors.

Synthesis and antitubercular evaluation of 4-carbonyl piperazine substituted 1,3-benzothiazin-4-one derivatives.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major human health problem. New therapeutic antitubercular agents are urgent needed to control the global tuberculosis pandemic. We synthesized a new series of 4-carbonyl piperazine substituted 1,3-benzothiazin-4-one derivatives and evaluated their anti-mycobacterial activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra as well as their druggabilities.

Discovery of imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole HCV NS4B inhibitors exhibiting synergistic effect with other direct-acting antiviral agents.

The design, synthesis, and SAR studies of novel inhibitors of HCV NS4B based on the imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole scaffold were described. Optimization of potency with respect to genotype 1b resulted in the discovery of two potent leads 26f (EC50 = 16 nM) and 28g (EC50 = 31 nM). The resistance profile studies revealed that 26f and 28g targeted HCV NS4B, more precisely the second amphipathic α helix of NS4B (4BAH2).

Patterned substrates fabricated by a controlled freezing approach and biocompatibility evaluation by stem cells.

Patterned substrates have been widely used in the studies investigating how to regulate cell growth and alignment. Such substrates may be fabricated by various techniques such as photolithography, soft lithography and microcontact printing. We report here a facile approach to fabricate aligned and grid surface patterns by a controlled freezing approach and further investigate their biocompatibility.

Lobaplatin arrests cell cycle progression, induces apoptosis and impairs migration and invasion in B16-F10 melanoma cell line in vitro.

Melanoma is highly resistant to most conventional treatment, and the incidence and mortality rates are increasing rapidly worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the anticancer effects of lobaplatin on the melanoma carcinoma cell line B16-F10 in vitro, and explored its mechanisms of action. Our results have shown that lobaplatin inhibited cell proliferation in human melanoma A375 and CHL-1 cells and murine melanoma B16-F10 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner.

Effects of huwentoxin-I on catecholamines in cultured PC12 cells.

The measurement of catecholamines in biological samples remains a current analytical challenge in the study on neurotransmitter release, although much effort has been devoted toward the relevant methodology. Here we first established a fluoresence-based method for the quantitative determination of catecholamines and then applied it to the investigation of effects of huwentoxin-I (HWTX-I), a peptide neurotoxin, on catecholamines in cultured PC12 cells. The results showed that treatment with HWTX-I at different concentrations (10, 50, 100 and 1000 nM) for 20 min significantly increased dopamine (DA) content in the culture medium (p < 0.

Bright, efficient, and color-stable violet ZnSe-based quantum dot light-emitting diodes.

In this paper, highly stable violet-blue emitting ZnSe/ZnS core/shell QDs have been synthesized by a novel "low temperature injection and high temperature growth" method. The resulting nearly monodisperse ZnSe/ZnS core/shell QDs exhibit excellent characteristics such as a high color saturation (typical spectral full width at half-maximum between 12 and 20 nm), good emission tunability in the violet-blue range of wavelengths from 400 to 455 nm, a high absolute PL quantum yield (up to 83%), and superior chemical and photochemical stability. By employing ZnSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) as emitters with a fully solution processable method, bright, efficient, and color-stable violet Cd-free quantum dot-based light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) with maximum luminance up to 2632 cd m(-2) and a peak EQE of 7.

Structural insight into equine lentivirus receptor 1.

Equine lentivirus receptor 1 (ELR1) has been identified as a functional cellular receptor for equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). Herein, recombinant ELR1 and EIAV surface glycoprotein gp90 were respectively expressed in Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells, and purified to homogeneity by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Gel filtration chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) analyses indicated that both ELR1 and gp90 existed as individual monomers in solution and formed a complex with a stoichiometry of 1:1 when mixed.

Surgical treatment of giant left atrial diverticulum in an adult.

Giant left atrial diverticulum is a rare congenital abnormality that is most commonly diagnosed in childhood. Here, we report the case of an 18-year-old woman who presented with chest tightness. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography imaging revealed a 12-cm×7-cm left atrial diverticulum.

Dopamine release from transplanted neural stem cells in Parkinsonian rat striatum in vivo.

Embryonic stem cell-based therapies exhibit great potential for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) because they can significantly rescue PD-like behaviors. However, whether the transplanted cells themselves release dopamine in vivo remains elusive. We and others have recently induced human embryonic stem cells into primitive neural stem cells (pNSCs) that are self-renewable for massive/transplantable production and can efficiently differentiate into dopamine-like neurons (pNSC-DAn) in culture.

Vaccines and the risk of multiple sclerosis and other central nervous system demyelinating diseases.

Importance: Because vaccinations are common, even a small increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) or other acquired central nervous system demyelinating syndromes (CNS ADS) could have a significant effect on public health.

Objective: To determine whether vaccines, particularly those for hepatitis B (HepB) and human papillomavirus (HPV), increase the risk of MS or other CNS ADS.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A nested case-control study was conducted using data obtained from the complete electronic health records of Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) members.

SKLB316, a novel small-molecule inhibitor of cell-cycle progression, induces G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in vitro and inhibits tumor growth in vivo.

Benzothiazole derivatives have received considerable attentions for their potencies in cancer therapy. In the present study, we reported that SKLB316, a novel synthesized benzothiazole derivative, exhibits activities to inhibit colorectal and pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In vitro, it exhibited significant anti-proliferative activities against human cancer cells derived from different histotypes including the colorectal cancer cell line HCT116 and pancreatic cancer cell line CFPAC-1.

Inpatient admission for febrile seizure and subsequent outcomes do not differ in children with vaccine-associated versus non-vaccine associated febrile seizures.

Introduction: Recent data suggest that the risk factors for febrile seizure (FS) can differ depending on whether the FS was vaccine-associated (VA) or not. As such, there also may be differences in the risk of inpatient admission and/or the incidence of FS-related subsequent outcomes following the index FS depending on whether it was VA or non-vaccine associated (NVA). This could have useful clinical implications including caregiver education and planning for follow-up care.

Purification, characterization and structure of nucleoside diphosphate kinase from Drosophila melanogaster.

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) is a ubiquitous enzyme found in all organisms and cell types, which catalyzes the transfer of the phosphoryl group from a nucleoside triphosphate to a nucleoside diphosphate. The gene encoding for NDPK from Drosophila melanogaster was amplified from the genomic DNA. The recombinant NDPK (rNDPK) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity by Ni-NTA agarose affinity chromatography, HiTrap SP HP cation exchange chromatography and HiLoad 16/60 Superdex 200 gel filtration chromatography.

TREM-1 as a potential therapeutic target in neonatal sepsis.

Objective: Bacterial sepsis in neonates is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. A role for the pro-inflammatory Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is suspected in the innate immune response to bacteria, but little is known about its activities in infants. To begin exploring the feasibility of treating neonatal sepsis by blocking leukocyte TREM-1, we compared TREM-1 membrane expression and mRNA in newborns without clinical or microbiological evidence of infection, to that of healthy adults.

YLT192, a novel, orally active bioavailable inhibitor of VEGFR2 signaling with potent antiangiogenic activity and antitumor efficacy in preclinical models.

Antagonizing vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) to block angiogenesis has been applied toward cancer therapy for its role in promoting cancer growth and metastasis. However, most these clinical anticancer drugs have unexpected side effects. Development of novel VEGFR2 inhibitors with less toxicity remains an urgent need.

Single-cell-precision microplasma-induced cancer cell apoptosis.

The issue of single-cell control has recently attracted enormous interest. However, in spite of the presently achievable intracellular-level physiological probing through bio-photonics, nano-probe-based, and some other techniques, the issue of inducing selective, single-cell-precision apoptosis, without affecting neighbouring cells remains essentially open. Here we resolve this issue and report on the effective single-cell-precision cancer cell treatment using the reactive chemistry of the localized corona-type plasma discharge around a needle-like electrode with the spot size ∼1 µm.