Zinc Assisted Thermal Etching for Rich Edge-Located Fe-N Active Sites in Defective Carbon Nanofiber for Activity Enhancement of Oxygen Electroreduction.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with edge-located metal active sites exhibit superior oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance due to their narrower energy gap and higher electron density. However, controllably designing such active sites to fully reveal their advantages remains challenging. Herein, rich edge-located Fe-N active sites anchored in hierarchically porous carbon nanofibers (denoted as e-Fe-N-C) are fabricated via an in situ zinc-assisted thermal etching strategy.

Boosting Oxygen Reduction Reaction Kinetics by Designing Rich Vacancy Coupling Pentagons in the Defective Carbon.

In the energy conversion context, the design and synthesis of high-performance metal-free carbon nanomaterials with topological defects for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are essential. Herein, we first report a template-assisted strategy to fabricate carbon defect electrocatalysts with rich vacancy coupling pentagons (VP) as active sites in two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanosheets (VP/CNs). Experimental characterizations verify the presence of abundant VP active sites in the VP/CNs electrocatalyst, and the ORR activity is linearly related to the amounts of VP active sites.

Triptolide Improves Renal Injury in Diabetic Nephropathy Rats through TGF-β1/Smads Signal Pathway.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Triptolide on renal injury in diabetic nephropathy rats.

Methods: A total of 15 male SD rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into five groups (3 rats in each group): control group, model group, Triptolide low-dose (Triptolide-L) group, Triptolide medium- dose (Triptolide-M) group, Triptolide high-dose (Triptolide-H) group. The rat models of diabetic nephropathy (DN) were established by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ after being fed with high-fat and high-sugar diet for 4 weeks, and the fasting blood glucose (FBG) concentration of rats was detected.

The coordinated roles of miR-26a and miR-30c in regulating TGFβ1-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in diabetic nephropathy.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles in the development of diabetic nephropathy. Here, we compared the protective efficacies of miR-26a and miR-30c in renal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52E) and determined whether they demonstrated additive effects in the attenuation of renal fibrosis. TGFβ1 suppressed miR-26a and miR-30c expression but up-regulated pro-fibrotic markers in NRK-52E cells, and these changes were also found in the kidney cortex of 40-week-old diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats.

Transcription Factor Egr1 is Involved in High Glucose-Induced Proliferation and Fibrosis in Rat Glomerular Mesangial Cells.

Unlabelled: Backgroud: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most frequent causes of end-stage renal disease and is associated with proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells (MCs) and excessive production of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Several studies have shown that early growth response factor 1 (Egr1) plays a key role in renal fibrosis by regulating the expression of genes encoding ECM components. However, whether Egr1 also contributes to diabetic nephropathy is unclear.

[Effects of metformin on apoptosis induced by advanced glycation end-products and expressions of caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 in human dermal fibroblasts in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the effect of metformin in protecting against advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-induced apoptosis in human primary dermal fibroblasts.

Methods: Fibroblasts were exposed to 100, 200, or 300 µg/mL AGEs, 300 µg/mL bovine serum albumin (BSA), or 300 µg/mL AGEs and 1 mmol/L metformin for 24, 48, or 72 h. The exposed cells were examined for cell apoptosis using a cell counting kit.

[Association of TNFA-308 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to chronic periodontitis in Chinese patients].

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between TNFalpha-308 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to chronic periodontitis in Chinese patients.

Methods: DNA samples with buccal swabs were collected from 63 severe CP patients, 103 initial to moderate CP patients, and 80 healthy controls in Chinese Han nationality. The TNFA-308 gene polymorphisms were analyzed with PCR-RFLP.

[A study of 202 periodontitis subjects in Chengdu].

Objective: To study the severity of periodontitis and risk factors in Chengdu.

Methods: 202 periodontitis patients (65 male, 137 female), aged from 25 to 60, were requested to fill a questionnaire. Probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival recession and bleeding on probing (BOP) on 6 sites of each tooth were measured and recorded.

[The association between Fc gamma receptor IIA gene polymorphism and susceptibility to chronic periodontitis in Chinese Han nationality].

Objective: To investigate the association between Fc gamma receptor IIA gene polymorphism and susceptibility to chronic periodontitis in Chinese Han nationality.

Methods: DNA samples were collected with buccal swabs from 63 patients with severe chronic periodontitis(CP), 103 patients with mild to moderate CP and 80 healthy individuals as control. Polymorphism in Fc gamma receptor IIA gene cluster was analyzed with PCR-SSP.

[Construction of the pyruvate oxidase gene deficiency variant strain of Streptococcus oralis].

Objective: The purpose of this study is to construct a pyruvate oxidase gene deficiency variant strain of Streptococcus oralis (S. oralis).

Methods: The sopox gene, which was got using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the 130-basepair segment of which was cut down with endonuclease BamHI, and transferred into S.