[Comparative study on the apical root resorption between self-ligating and conventional brackets in extraction patients].

Purpose: To explore whether orthodontic light force with self-ligating brackets can reduce the amount of external apical root resorption (EARR).

Methods: Thirty patients with Class I or II crowding malocclusion were selected. Four first premolars of all patients were extracted in orthodontic treatment.

Lack of association between TNF-α promoter polymorphisms and multiple myeloma: a meta-analysis.

Results of available literatures, which concerned the association between TNF-α promoter -238/-308 gene polymorphisms and multiple myeloma (MM), are of great controversy. A review was performed in studies reporting on the association between them. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate the association.

In situ vaccination with CD204 gene-silenced dendritic cell, not unmodified dendritic cell, enhances radiation therapy of prostate cancer.

Given the complexity of prostate cancer progression and metastasis, multimodalities that target different aspects of tumor biology, for example, radiotherapy in conjunction with immunotherapy, may provide the best opportunities for promoting clinical benefits in patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer. Here, we show that intratumoral administration of unmodified dendritic cells (DC) failed to synergize with fractionated radiotherapy. However, ionizing radiation combined with in situ vaccination with DCs, in which the immunosuppressive scavenger receptor A (SRA/CD204) has been downregulated by lentivirus-mediated gene silencing, profoundly suppressed the growth of two mouse prostate cancers (e.

Significance of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with fracture healing process.

Fracture healing is a complex bone formation process, and neovascularization may contribute to new bone regeneration. The circulating endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) mobilization and homing could involve in neovascularization and vasculogenesis. In this study, we investigate the changes of circulating EPC during bone fracture healing, and the possible contribution of EPCs to increased neovascularization and fracture healing.

[Distribution and accumulation characteristics of nutrients in solar greenhouse soil in Ji'nan, Shandong Province of East China].

Taking the solar greenhouses with different cultivating years and vegetables in Ji'nan as test objects, this paper studied the amounts and frequency distribution of soil nutrients and the relationships between cultivating years and soil nutrients accumulation characteristics, and analyzed the factors causing soil salinization and acidification by fitting soil nutrients contents with cultivating years and vegetables. In the greenhouses, the contents of soil alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, organic matter, and electrical conductivity were significantly higher than those in the open field, with an increment of 135.3%, 475.

Biomechanical properties of peripheral nerve after acellular treatment.

Background: Peripheral nerve injury causes a high rate of disability and a huge economic burden, and is currently one of the serious health problems in the world. The use of nerve grafts plays a vital role in repairing nerve defects. Acellular nerve grafts have been widely used in many experimental models as a peripheral nerve substitute.

[A study on biomechanical properties of chemically extracted acellular peripheral nerve].

Objective: To investigate the differences in biomechanical properties between fresh and chemically extracted acellular peripheral nerve.

Methods: Thirty-six sciatic nerves were harvested from 18 adult male Wistar rats of 3 months old and randomly assigned into 3 groups (n = 12 per group): normal control group (group A), the nerve segments received no treatment; Sondell method group (group B), the nerve segments were chemically extracted with the detergents of Triton X-100 and sodium deoxycholate; and improved method group (group C), chemically extracted acellular treatment of nerve was done with the detergents of Triton X-200, Sulfobetaine-10 (SB-10), and SB-16. After the acellularization, the structural changes of nerves in each group were observed by HE staining and field emission scanning electron microscope, then the biomechanical properties of nerves were tested using mechanical apparatus (Endura TEC ELF 3200).

Preparation of Sm(x)Ce(1-x)O2(SDC) electrolyte film with gradient structure via a gas-phase controlling convection-diffusion approach on porous substrate.

A SDC electrolyte film with gradient structure rooted on porous alumina substrate has been prepared by using a gas-phase controlling convection-diffusion approach. Investigation on the fabrication principles and the co-precipitation kinetics turned out the gradient distribution of hydroxide product of Ce(OH)(3) and Sm(OH)(3) in a porous substrate could be formed as induced by the down-toward diffusion of NH(3)·H(2)O in polar solvent along vertical direction and the up-toward convection of Sm(3+) and Ce(3+) ions over the cross-section of porous substrate, and the aim ratio of Ce to Sm of 4:1 in the sediment phase would be achieved by controlling component concentration in bulk solution. As a result, Sm(0.

[The role of PKC to TNF-alpha induced beta-1, 4-galactosyltransferase-I expression in endothelial cells].

Aim: To investigate the role of protein kinase C (PKC) to regulate the expression of beta-1, 4-galactosyltransferase-I(beta-1, 4-GalT-I)and the influence to cytoskeleton and adherence ability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) when stimulated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha).

Methods: Cultured HUVECs were pretreated by various PKC inhibitors or PMA, an excitomotor of PKC respectively for 30 minutes, then stimulated by TNF-alpha for 4 hours, beta-1, 4-GalT-I expression were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot, expression of beta-1, 4-galactosylated carbohydrate chains and cytoskeleton were assayed by immunofluorescence, adherence ability of HUVECs was observed by endothelial-monocyte cell adherence test.

Results: Up-regulated expression of beta-1, 4-GalT-I and beta-1, 4-galactosylated carbohydrate chains in HUVECs stimulated by TNF-alpha were suppressed by PKC inhibitors and increased by PMA.

Superior antitumor response induced by large stress protein chaperoned protein antigen compared with peptide antigen.

Our previous studies have demonstrated that the natural chaperone complexes of full-length tumor protein Ags (e.g., gp100) and large stress proteins (e.

Expression of beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase-I affects cellular adhesion in human peripheral blood CD4+ T cells.

beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase-I (beta-1,4-GalT-I) has two isoforms that differ only in the length of their cytoplasmic domains. In this study, we found that both the long and short isoforms of beta-1,4-GalT-I were expressed in human CD4(+) T lymphocytes, and localized in the cytoplasm and on the plasma membrane. The expression level of beta-1,4-GalT-I was increased in CD4(+) T cells after stimulation with interleukin (IL)-2, and was further increased after stimulation with IL-2+IL-12, but decreased after stimulation with IL-2+IL-4 when compared to stimulation with IL-2 alone.

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) in water of Lake Dianchi--spatial and seasonal variation, and kinetics of biodegradation.

For the purpose of elucidating the environmental characteristics of anion surfactants [linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS)] in the water of Lake Dianchi, a sampling investigation in the field from October 2006 to July 2007 and a batch of biodegradation experiments in the laboratory were carried out. The results showed that concentrations of LAS ranged from 18.6 to 260.

Secretion of stress protein grp170 promotes immune-mediated inhibition of murine prostate tumor.

It is well established that certain stress proteins or molecular chaperones are highly efficient in cross-presenting tumor-derived antigens, resulting in a potent antitumor immune response. In this study we demonstrate that genetic modification of weakly immunogenic murine prostate tumor cells (TRAMP-C2) by stable transfection with a secretable form of endoplasmic reticulum resident chaperone grp170 significantly enhances its immunogenicity in vivo. Generation of systemic antitumor immunity is indicated by the growth suppression of distant parental tumors, which is associated with increased tumor infiltration, elevated effector functions of CD8(+) T-cells.

Secretable chaperone Grp170 enhances therapeutic activity of a novel tumor suppressor, mda-7/IL-24.

Melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7 (mda-7)/interleukin-24 (IL-24) is a cancer-specific, apoptosis-inducing gene with broad-spectrum antitumor activity, making it an ideal candidate for a novel cancer gene therapy. A systemic and sustained antitumor immune response generated at the time of initial molecular-targeted therapy would provide additional clinical benefits in cancer patients, resulting in improved prevention of tumor recurrence. In this study, we explored the therapeutic efficacy of intratumoral delivery of a nonreplicating adenoviral vector encoding mda-7/IL-24 (Ad.

Evaluation of renal cell carcinoma vaccines targeting carbonic anhydrase IX using heat shock protein 110.

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA9) is a renal cell carcinoma (RCC)-specific tumor protein that is targeted using heat shock protein 110 (hsp110). The chaperoning ability of hsp110 can be utilized to form a complex with CA9 (hsp110 + CA9) in vitro, which can be administered as a highly concentrated tumor vaccine. In a tumor prevention model, hsp110 + CA9 prevented the growth of RENCA tumors in BALB/c mice, and produced IFN-gamma response measured using ELISPOT and an antibody response measured using ELISA.

Stem/progenitor cell-specific enhanced green fluorescent protein expression driven by the endogenous Mcm2 promoter.

Previous studies have demonstrated expression of the minichromosome maintenance protein Mcm2 in cells that remain competent to divide, including stem/progenitor cells of the subventricular zone (SVZ) within the brain. Here, a transgenic mouse line in which the Mcm2 gene drives expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was constructed by insertion of an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)-EGFP cassette into the last exon of the gene, 3' to the stop codon. In these mice, expression of EGFP is observed in the SVZ and several other tissues with high proliferative activity, including the spleen, intestine, hair follicles, and bone marrow.

Apoptosis in budding yeast caused by defects in initiation of DNA replication.

Apoptosis in metazoans is often accompanied by the destruction of DNA replication initiation proteins, inactivation of checkpoints and activation of cyclin-dependent kinases, which are inhibited by checkpoints that directly or indirectly require initiation proteins. Here we show that, in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutations in initiation proteins that attenuate both the initiation of DNA replication and checkpoints also induce features of apoptosis similar to those observed in metazoans. The apoptosis-like phenotype of initiation mutants includes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of the budding-yeast metacaspase Yca1p.

[Effects of sunlight and temperature on ultrastructure and functions of chloroplast of cucumber in solar greenhouse].

Studies on the effects of sunlight and temperature on the ultrastructure and functions of leaf chloroplasts of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in solar greenhouse showed that the size of cells, chloroplasts, and starch grains and the number of chloroplast, grana, grana lamella and grana thickness of leaf chloroplast of cucumber increased with lowering leaf position. The microstructure of leaves and the ultrastructure of chloroplast of cucumber leaves were different because of the difference of temperature and sunlight among different months.

Targeted destruction of DNA replication protein Cdc6 by cell death pathways in mammals and yeast.

The highly conserved Cdc6 protein is required for initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication and, in yeast and Xenopus, for the coupling of DNA replication to mitosis. Herein, we show that human Cdc6 is rapidly destroyed by a p53-independent, proteasome-, and ubiquitin-dependent pathway during early stages of programmed cell death induced by the DNA-damaging drug adozelesin, or by a separate caspase-dependent pathway in cells undergoing apoptosis through an extrinsic pathway induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cycloheximide. The proteasome-dependent pathway induced by adozelesin is conserved in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Nonsense-mediated decay: assaying for effects on selenoprotein mRNAs.

If the abundance of a particular selenoprotein mRNA is reduced during selenium deprivation, then the mRNA is likely to be a natural substrate for NMD. One assay for NMD involves changing the TGA Sec codon(s) to either a TGC cysteine codon or a TAA nonsense codon. If selenium deprivation elicits NMD and has no other effect on selenoprotein gene expression, then, regardless of selenium concentration, the level of UGC-containing mRNA should be most abundant, the level of UGA-containing mRNA should be intermediate in abundance, and the level of UAA-containing mRNA should be least abundant.