Association between coffee and caffeine intake and risk of COPD: Findings based on NHANES 2007-2012.

Background: The association between coffee and caffeine intake and the risk of COPD and lung function has not been thoroughly discussed in Americans, with subgroup and threshold effects remaining unclear.

Objectives: This study investigated the association between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as lung function utilizing data from the NHANES 2007-2012.

Methods: We assessed the associations of coffee and caffeine consumption with the risk of COPD and lung function parameters, including FEV1 and FVC, adjusting for common demographic and disease characteristics in a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data.

DNA identification from dental pulp and cementum.

Teeth are one of the body tissues remaining after severe decomposition from which a DNA profile can be obtained to aid in human identification. Currently, the standard approach to isolate DNA from teeth requires pulverizing the entire tooth. This destructive approach compromises any further morphological or anthropological study.

Evolutionary route of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis and its clinical significance.

It is critical to understand factors associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) metastasis. To track the evolutionary route of metastasis, here we perform an integrative genomic analysis of 163 matched blood and primary, regional lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis tumour samples, combined with single-cell RNA-seq on 11 samples from two patients. The mutation burden, gene mutation frequency, mutation signature, and copy number frequency are similar between metastatic tumours and primary and regional lymph node tumours.

Quantitative analysis and pharmacokinetic study of a novel diarylurea EGFR inhibitor (ZCJ14) in rat plasma using a validated LC-MS/MS method.

1-(4-(Pyrrolidin-1-yl-methyl)phenyl)-3-(4-((3-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl)amino)quinazolin-6-yl)urea (ZCJ14), a novel epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, with diarylurea moiety, displays anticancer effect. In the present study, an LCMS/MS method was established to determine the concentration of ZCJ14 in rat plasma. Furthermore, the method was applied to investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of ZCJ14.

[Pro-angiogenic effects of four Chinese medicines and three herbal prescription in chicken chorioallantoic membrane model].

Objective: To observe the pro-angiogenic effect of four Chinese medicines and three herbal prescriptions, screen the effective components from them.

Methods: Chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model was employed to observe the pro-angiogenic activities of Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, Notoginseng Radix, Astragali Radix, Xuefuzhuyu decoction, Dangguibuxue decoction and Taohongsiwu decoction, all of them were claimed to promote angiogenesis. The effective components were screened from the extracts.

[An information extraction method of spectral images based on 3D spectral angle statistics].

A novel information extraction method of spectral images based on 3D spectral angle statistics is proposed. By computing the spectral angle between adjacent pixels of the image in the horizontal, vertical and diagonal direction respectively, a 3D information statistical model was then constructed. This model reflects the similarity between adjacent pixels which represent some kind of materials.

[Effect and mechanism of Danhong injection on isolated mesenteric arterial rings in rats].

Objective: To study the effect and mechanism of Danhong injection on isolated mesenteric arterial rings in rats.

Method: An isolated vascular ring experiment was conducted to determine the changes in tension of vascular rings with a biological signal collection and analytical system.

Result: Danhong injection had no impact on the tension of vascular rings.

Surface plasmon resonance biochip based on ZnO thin film for nitric oxide sensing.

In this study, the design of a novel optical sensor that comprises surface plasmon resonance sensing chip and zinc oxide nano-film was proposed for the detection of nitric oxide gas. The electrical and optical properties of zinc oxide film vary in the presence of nitric oxide. This effect was utilized to prepare biochemical sensors with transduction based on surface plasmon resonance.