Associations of Serum Homocysteine with Bone Mineral Density and Osteoporosis Incidence in Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: This research investigated the prospective association of serum homocysteine with lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) and the risk of osteoporosis in the Chinese population.

Methods: In this cohort, 2551 Chinese individuals aged ≥50 years underwent annual health examinations. Among them, 2551, 1549, and 926 completed two, three, and more than three examinations, respectively.

SOX4 promotes vascular abnormality in glioblastoma and is a novel target to improve drug delivery.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults with dismal prognosis. Vascular abnormality is a hallmark of GBM, and aggravates diseases progression by increasing hypoxia, inducing life-threaten edema and hindering drug delivery. Nonetheless, the intricate mechanism underlying vascular abnormality remains inadequately understood.

Relationship between Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Adults: A Large Nationwide Longitudinal Study.

Objective: This study investigated the association of circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) with the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in adults.

Methods: This nationwide cohort involved 23,810 Chinese adults attending annual health evaluations. Serum 25(OH)D levels, MetS status, and covariates were determined at each examination.

Feasibility of intracerebrally administering multiple doses of genetically modified neural stem cells to locally produce chemotherapy in glioma patients.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are tumor tropic and can be genetically modified to produce anti-cancer therapies locally in the brain. In a prior first-in-human study we demonstrated that a single dose of intracerebrally administered allogeneic NSCs, which were retrovirally transduced to express cytosine deaminase (CD), tracked to glioma sites and converted oral 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The next step in the clinical development of this NSC-based anti-cancer strategy was to assess the feasibility of administering multiple intracerebral doses of CD-expressing NSCs (CD-NSCs) in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas.

Programmable Ultralight Magnets via Orientational Arrangement of Ferromagnetic Nanoparticles within Aerogel Hosts.

The actuation and levitation of air-suspended objects by a magnetic field, due to its noncontact and holonomic manipulation modes, are important technological capabilities for device applications. However, owing to a higher density of conventional ferromagnets or nanoparticle-containing polymers and strong magnetic fields required for actuation, fabricating lightweight materials with a sensitive magnetic response for weight critical applications is challenging. Here, we report ultralight aerogel-based magnets (aero-magnets) comprising assembled ferromagnetic nanomaterials with highly magnetic anisotropy where the magnetic domains can be programmed by external predesigned fields.

Tiger frog virus ORF104R interacts with cellular VDAC2 to inhibit cell apoptosis.

Ranaviruses belong to the family Iridoviridae, and have become a serious threat to both farmed and natural populations of fish and amphibians. Previous reports showed that ranaviruses could encode viral Bcl-2 family-like proteins (vBcl-2), which play a critical role in the regulation of cell apoptosis. However, the mechanism of ranaviruses vBcl-2 interactions with host protein in mediating apoptosis remains unknown.

Identification and functional analysis of the Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) hypoxia-inducible factor-1α involved in the immune response.

Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) is a popular cultured freshwater fish species due to its high market value in China. With increasing density of breeding, mandarin fish is often cultured under low environmental oxygen concentrations (hypoxia). In this study, the relative expression levels of hypoxia response element (HRE)-luciferase reporter and the HIF signaling pathway downstream genes (scldha, scvegf, and scglut-1) were significantly increased by hypoxic stress, thereby indicating that mandarin fish has an HIF signaling pathway.

Enhanced dyes adsorption from wastewater via FeO nanoparticles functionalized activated carbon.

FeO nanoparticles functionalized activated carbon (FeO/AC) as an adsorbent was prepared and used for fast and effectively removing rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) from aqueous solution. Its physical and chemical properties characterized indicate that the adsorbent possesses abundant surface functional groups, sensitive magnetic response and enhanced specific surface area. Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the adsorption capacity and mechanisms.

Association of pre-chemotherapy peripheral blood pro-inflammatory and coagulation factors with reduced relative dose intensity in women with breast cancer.

Background: Chemotherapy decreases the risk of relapse and mortality in early-stage breast cancer (BC), but it comes with the risk of toxicity. Chemotherapy efficacy depends on relative dose intensity (RDI), and an RDI < 85% is associated with worse overall survival. The pro-inflammatory (interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP)) and coagulation factors (D-dimer) serve as biomarkers of aging.

Association of Pre-Chemotherapy Peripheral Blood Pro-Inflammatory and Coagulation Factors with Physical Function in Women with Breast Cancer.

Background: Pro-inflammatory and coagulation factors serve as biomarkers of aging and functional reserve. The purpose of this study was to determine if pro-inflammatory (interleukin-6 [IL-6], C-reactive protein [CRP]), and coagulation (D-dimer) factors were associated with pre-chemotherapy functional status in women with stage I-III breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Prior to chemotherapy initiation in patients with stage I-III breast cancer, the following was captured: IL-6, CRP, D-dimer blood levels, and physical function measures including activities of daily living (ADL, subscale of Medical Outcomes Study Physical Health); instrumental activities of daily living (IADL, subscale of the Older Americans Resources and Services Program); Timed Up and Go (TUG); physician-rated Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS); and self-rated KPS.

Budding of Tiger Frog Virus (an Iridovirus) from HepG2 Cells via Three Ways Recruits the ESCRT Pathway.

The cellular endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) pathway is a multifunctional pathway involved in cell physiological activities. While the majority of RNA viruses bearing L-domains are known to hijack the ESCRT pathway to complete the budding process, the budding of large and complex enveloped DNA viruses, especially iridoviruses, has been rarely investigated. In the present study, we use the tiger frog virus (TFV) as a model to investigate whether iridoviruses are released from host cells through the ESCRT pathway.

Tiger frog virus ORF080L protein interacts with LITAF and impairs EGF-induced EGFR degradation.

Tiger frog virus (TFV) belongs to the genus Ranavirus, family Iridoviridae, and causes severe mortality in commercial cultures in China. TFV ORF080L is a gene homolog of lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α factor (LITAF), which is a regulator in endosome-to-lysosome trafficking through its function in the endosomal sorting complex required for transport machinery. The characteristics and biological roles of TFV ORF080L were identified.

Caveolae Restrict Tiger Frog Virus Release in HepG2 cells and Caveolae-Associated Proteins Incorporated into Virus Particles.

Caveolae are flask-shaped invaginations of the plasma membrane. Caveolae play important roles in the process of viruses entry into host cells, but the roles of caveolae at the late stage of virus infection were not completely understood. Tiger frog virus (TFV) has been isolated from the diseased tadpoles of the frog, Rana tigrina rugulosa, and causes high mortality of tiger frog tadpoles cultured in Southern China.

Development of microsatellite markers for Carallia brachiata (Rhizophoraceae).

Premise Of The Study: Microsatellite markers were developed for Carallia brachiata to assess the genetic diversity and structure of this terrestrial species of the Rhizophoraceae.

Methods And Results: Based on transcriptome data for C. brachiata, 40 primer pairs were initially designed and tested, of which 18 were successfully amplified and 11 were polymorphic.

A pilot microdialysis study in brain tumor patients to assess changes in intracerebral cytokine levels after craniotomy and in response to treatment with a targeted anti-cancer agent.

Intracerebral microdialysis enables continuous measurement of changes in brain biochemistry. In this study intracerebral microdialysis was used to assess changes in cytokine levels after tumor resection and in response to treatment with temsirolimus. Brain tumor patients undergoing craniotomy participated in this non-therapeutic study.

The potential role of microfilaments in host cells for infection with infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus infection.

Background: Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) belongs to the genus Megalocytivirus from the family Iridoviridae. Megalocytivirus causes severe economic losses to tropical freshwater and marine culture industry in Asian countries and is devastating to the mandarin fish farm industry in China particularly.

Methods: We investigated the involvement of microfilaments in the early and late stages of ISKNV infection in MFF-1 cells by selectively perturbing their architecture using well-characterized inhibitors of actin dynamics.

Mandarin fish caveolin 1 interaction with major capsid protein of infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus and its role in early stages of infection.

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is the type species of the genus Megalocytivirus from the family Iridoviridae. ISKNV is one of the major agents that cause mortality and economic losses to the freshwater fish culture industry in Asian countries, particularly for mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi). In the present study, we report that the interaction of mandarin fish caveolin 1 (mCav-1) with the ISKNV major capsid protein (MCP) was detected by using a virus overlay assay and confirmed by pulldown assay and coimmunoprecipitation.

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (a fish iridovirus) enters Mandarin fish fry cells via caveola-dependent endocytosis.

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is the type species of the genus Megalocytivirus from the family Iridoviridae. Megalocytiviruses have been implicated in more than 50 fish species infections and currently threaten the aquaculture industry, causing great economic losses in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. However, the cellular entry mechanisms of megalocytiviruses remain largely uncharacterized.

Entry of tiger frog virus (an Iridovirus) into HepG2 cells via a pH-dependent, atypical, caveola-mediated endocytosis pathway.

Tiger frog virus (TFV), in the genus Ranavirus of the family Iridoviridae, causes high mortality of cultured tiger frog tadpoles in China. To explore the cellular entry mechanism of TFV, HepG2 cells were treated with drugs that inhibit the main endocytic pathways. We observed that TFV entry was inhibited by NH(4)Cl, chloroquine, and bafilomycin, which can all elevate the pH of acidic organelles.

Involvement of caveolin-1 in the Jak-Stat signaling pathway and infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus infection in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi).

Caveolae, the major source of caveolin-1 protein, are specialized invaginated microdomains of the plasma membrane that act as organizing centers for signaling molecules in the immune system. In the present study, we report the cloning and characterization of caveolin-1 (mCav-1) from mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) and study on the roles of mCav-1 in the fish Jak-Stat signaling pathway and in virus infection. The cDNA sequence of mCav-1 was 707bp in size, encoding a protein of 181 amino acids, which was different from the mammalian protein (178 amino acids).

RNA-based gene therapy for HIV with lentiviral vector-modified CD34(+) cells in patients undergoing transplantation for AIDS-related lymphoma.

AIDS patients who develop lymphoma are often treated with transplanted hematopoietic progenitor cells. As a first step in developing a hematopoietic cell-based gene therapy treatment, four patients undergoing treatment with these transplanted cells were also given gene-modified peripheral blood-derived (CD34(+)) hematopoietic progenitor cells expressing three RNA-based anti-HIV moieties (tat/rev short hairpin RNA, TAR decoy, and CCR5 ribozyme). In vitro analysis of these gene-modified cells showed no differences in their hematopoietic potential compared with nontransduced cells.

Development and application of a multiplexable flow cytometry-based assay to quantify cell-mediated cytolysis.

Although target cell cytolysis has been widely employed to describe effector function of cells, cytolysis assays as commonly employed do not generate quantitative data. In this report we describe the development and application of a statistically supported flow cytometry-based assay to quantify cell-mediated cytolysis. The assay depends on the use of the fluorescent dye CFSE to distinguish target from effector cells, the DNA intercalating dye 7AAD to distinguish dead from live cell events, and on the establishment of a cytolysis curve that allows for the derivation of statistically robust data.

An increase of cytochrome C oxidase mediated disruption of gemcitabine incorporation into DNA in a resistant KB clone.

Mechanistic aberrations leading to Gemcitabine (2',2'-dFdCyd,2,2-difluorodeoxycytidine, Gem) resistance may include alteration in its transport, metabolism and incorporation into DNA. To explore the mechanism of Gem resistance, the restriction fragment differential display PCR (RFDD-PCR) was employed to compare the mRNA expression patterns of KBGem (Gem resistant), KBHURs (hydroxyurea resistant) and KBwt (parental KB cell). Nine gene fragments were overexpressed specifically in the KBGem clone.

Ribozyme cleavage leads to decreased expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 in human multiple myeloma cells, which is associated with apoptosis and downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor.

The aim of this study was to investigate the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) mRNA cleavage by ribozymes targeting FGFR3, effect of growth inhibition and associated with mechanism on multiple myeloma (MM). We designated two ribozyme-expressing plasmids that target the FGFR3 genes, Rz52 and Rz32. In vitro catalytic activity of Rz52 and Rz32 in KMS11 cells decreased FGFR3 mRNA expression to 45% (p < 0.