Hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data showed that the relationship between hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk remains under debate. This study is conducted to test the causal relationship of hypothyroidism and RA.

Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis was employed to estimate the causality of hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis in European ancestry and Asian ancestry.

4,4'-Dimethoxybenzhydryl substituent augments performance of bis(imino)pyridine cobalt-based catalysts in ethylene polymerization.

A series of cobalt complexes with bis(imino)pyridine derivatives featuring unsymmetrical substitution with bulky groups has been synthesized and characterized. The molecular structures of two representatives have been determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction study, revealing distorted tetrahedral geometry with different degrees of steric hindrance imparted by the two inequivalent aryl groups attached to the imine nitrogen atoms. On activation with either MAO or MMAO, these complexes display high activity toward ethylene polymerization, reaching 8.

Computational Assessment of the Expression-modulating Potential for Non-coding Variants.

Large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) studies have identified multiple non-coding variants associated with genetic diseases by affecting gene expression. However, pinpointing causal variants effectively and efficiently remains a serious challenge. Here, we developed CARMEN, a novel algorithm to identify functional non-coding expression-modulating variants.

REVA as A Well-curated Database for Human Expression-modulating Variants.

More than 90% of disease- and trait-associated human variants are noncoding. By systematically screening multiple large-scale studies, we compiled REVA, a manually curated database for over 11.8 million experimentally tested noncoding variants with expression-modulating potentials.

Achieving polydispersive HDPE by ,,-Co precatalysts appended with -2,4-bis(di(4-methoxyphenyl)methyl)-6-methylphenyl.

A family of unsymmetrical 2-(2,4-bis(di(4-methoxyphenyl)methyl)-6-MeCHN)-6-(1-(arylimino)ethyl)pyridine-cobalt dichloride complexes has been synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis as well as single crystal X-ray diffraction for Co2 and Co4. Activated with either MAO or MMAO, all the cobalt precatalysts displayed high activities toward ethylene polymerization and produced highly linear polyethylenes with high molecular weights as well as wide polydispersities; for example, the performance using Co1/MAO at 50 °C reached 9.17 × 10 g PE (mol of Co) h with the production polyethylene of molecular weight as high as = 3.

The nucleoskeleton protein IFFO1 immobilizes broken DNA and suppresses chromosome translocation during tumorigenesis.

Chromosome translocation is a major cause of the onset and progression of diverse types of cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. Here, we identified a non-homologous end-joining protein, IFFO1, which structurally forms a heterotetramer with XRCC4.

Systematic identification and annotation of multiple-variant compound effects at transcription factor binding sites in human genome.

Understanding the functional effects of genetic variants is crucial in modern genomics and genetics. Transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) are one of the most important cis-regulatory elements. While multiple tools have been developed to assess functional effects of genetic variants at TFBSs, they usually assume that each variant works in isolation and neglect the potential "interference" among multiple variants within the same TFBS.

Accurately annotate compound effects of genetic variants using a context-sensitive framework.

In genomics, effectively identifying the biological effects of genetic variants is crucial. Current methods handle each variant independently, assuming that each variant acts in a context-free manner. However, variants within the same gene may interfere with each other, producing combinational (compound) rather than individual effects.

Subanesthetic isoflurane reduces zymosan-induced inflammation in murine Kupffer cells by inhibiting ROS-activated p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling.

Volatile anesthetic isoflurane (ISO) has immunomodulatory effects. The fungal component zymosan (ZY) induces inflammation through toll-like receptor 2 or dectin-1 signaling. We investigated the molecular actions of subanesthetic (0.

Patchouli alcohol dampens lipopolysaccharide induced mastitis in mice.

Patchouli alcohol (PA), a tricyclic sesquiterpene isolated from Pogostemonis Herba, has been known to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other important therapeutic activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PA on LPS-induced mastitis in vivo and the possible mechanism. The mouse model of mastitis was induced by injection of LPS through the duct of mammary gland.

A subanesthetic dose of isoflurane during postconditioning ameliorates zymosan-induced neutrophil inflammation lung injury and mortality in mice.

Anesthetic isoflurane (ISO) has immunomodulatory effects. In the present study, we investigated whether a subanesthetic dose of ISO (0.7%) protected against zymosan (ZY) induced inflammatory responses in the murine lung and isolated neutrophils.

Palliative surgery for primary sarcoma in the abdominal aorta: A case report and review of the literature.

Primary sarcoma of the aorta is extremely rare and accounts for <1% of all sarcomas. The present study describes the case of a 45-year-old male who presented with lower limb and abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) arteriography revealed a tumor that extended from the infrarenal aorta to the aortic bifurcation.

Prognostic significance of USP22 as an oncogene in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22), a novel deubiquitinating enzyme, has been associated with metastasis, therapy resistance, and cell cycle progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression level of USP22 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) samples and to evaluate its clinical significance in PTC patients. USP22 expression was examined in 30 fresh PTC tissues and paired adjacent noncancerous tissues by real-time quantitative RT-PCR.

Metal (Mg, Fe, Co, Zr and Ti) complexes derived from aminosilyl substituted aminopyridinato ligand: synthesis, structures and ethylene polymerization behaviors of the group 4 complexes.

Lithium N-[(N,N-dimethylamino)dimethylsilyl]-2-pyridylamidate (2) was prepared from the reaction of new compound N-[(N,N-dimethylamino)dimethylsilyl]-2-pyridylamine (1) and LiBu(n). Treatment of the lithium salt (2) with an equal equivalent of MgBr(2)(THF)(2), FeCl(2) and CoCl(2) afforded the corresponding dinuclear complexes , , and , in which metal atoms possess similar trigonal bipyramidal geometries and each ligand functions as a bimetallic bridging binding aminopyridinato moiety with N-donation from the dimethylamino group. While the stoichiometric reaction of with ZrCl(4) gave the mononuclear zirconium complex (6); the seven coordinated zirconium atom adopts a distorted pentagonal bipyramid geometry and the ligand acts as monoanionic η(2)-aminopyridinato moiety with the pendant arm coordinated via N(CH(3))(2).

Rectal carcinoma metastatic to the male breast after 7 years: case report.

Background: Colorectal cancer metastasis to a mammary location is very rare.

Case Report: A 38-year-old male, who had undergone anterior resection of an advanced rectal carcinoma 7 years earlier, presented with a right mammary mass. Core needle biopsy of the mass indicated cytology consistent with breast adenocarcinoma.

Application of colour Doppler in encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein in primary deep venous insufficiency of the lower limbs.

1. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical value of colour Doppler application in encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein in deep vein insufficiency. 2.

Mononuclear titanium compounds based on the silyl-linked bis(amidinate) ligand: synthesis, characterization and ethylene polymerization.

The mononuclear silyl-linked bis(amidinate) titanium compound 2 was prepared by salt metathesis of 1 and TiCl(4)(thf)(2). Alkylation of 2 with methyllithium gave analogue 3. Both 2 and 3 exhibited a configuration similar to ansa-metallocene and showed good activity towards ethylene polymerization after activation with MAO.

A bulky silyl shift-directed synthesis of a silyl-linked amidinate-amidine and its Zr(IV) complex.

A novel silyl-linked amidinate-amidine monoanionic ligand 3 was synthesized by double additions of PhCN starting from silyl-linked bis(amino) monoanion 2, which underwent an intramolecular Li/H metathesis and double silyl shift. The related Zr(IV) complex 4 was prepared and confirmed by X-ray diffraction revealing a structural rearrangement from its precursor. The mechanisms for the reaction processes have been proposed.

T-vector and in vivo recombination as tools to construct a large antibody library of breast cancer.

The emergence of phage antibody libraries is an important advance in the field of antibody engineering. It provides a useful methodology to produce human antibodies and has the potential to replace traditional hybridoma technology. In our research, we used T-vector and in vivo recombination to construct a large antibody library from breast cancer patients.

[Construction and expression of eukaryotic coexpression plasmid containing human MUC1 gene and GM-CSF gene].

Aim: To construct an eukaryotic coexpression plasmid containing the coding region of human MUC1 tandem repeats gene and GM-CSF gene and to identify its expression in COS-7 cell.

Methods: MUC1 tandem repeats gene was obtained by synthesizing the segments. After identified by restriction endonuclease digestion analysis and DNA sequencing, MUC1 tandem repeats gene and GM-CSF gene were cloned into eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.

Expression of MUC1 and its significance in hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma tissue.

Aim: To investigate the relation between MUC1 expression, distribution, and prognosis in hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma (HCC and CC) and cirrhotic liver tissues, and their significance in HCC and CC diagnosis.

Methods: Expression and distribution of MUC1 were examined by immunohistochemical assay with anti-MUC1 mAb in 59 samples of HCC and 37 samples of CC, 20 samples of cirrhotic liver tissues, and 10 samples of normal liver tissues, seeking possible associations between MUC1 positive expression, distribution in HCC and CC (primary liver cancer, PLC) cases and the studied clinical data.

Results: Immunohistochemical analysis of MUC1 expression showed that in the 96 PLC samples, 68 (70.

[Enhanced inhibitory effect of MUC1 gene vaccine on breast cancer growth by GM-CSF].

Aim: To investigate if GM-CSF adjuvant could enhance the inhibitory effect of the MUC1 gene vaccine on EMT6 breast cancer growth.

Methods: Female BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly with 100 microgram MUC1 gene vaccine 3 times at 3 week intervals. On 1, 3 and 5 days after intramuscular immunization, GM-CSF 100 microL(1 microg/100 microL) was given s.

[Expression and activation of MAPK pathway signaling molecules in human breast cancer cell lines].

Aim: To detect the expression and status of extracellular regulatory kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and its upstream kinase MEK1/2 proteins in four breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, Bcap-37, SK-BR-3 and T47D and study the effects of cyclophosphamide and epirubicin on the growth of the cell lines and on the expression and status of the signaling molecules.

Methods: Western blot was used to examine the expression and status of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 proteins in these cells and the effects of these two drugs on them. The effects of the two drugs on the proliferation of these breast cancer cell lines were detected by MTT colorimetry.

[Induction of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and humoral immune response by MUC1 DNA vaccine in mice].

Aim: To observe the specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte and humoral immune response induced by MUC1 DNA inmunization in mice.

Methods: Female BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly with 100 microg pcDNA3.1-MUC1 3 times at intervals of 3 weeks.