Chemical studies on the BRET system between the bioluminescence of Cypridina and quantum dots.

We report a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) system between Cypridina luciferase (Cluc) and QDs. After coupling of the biotinylated Cluc with streptavidin-QDs, a BRET emission of QDs through the resonance energy transfer from the oxidation of Vargula (Cypridina) luciferin was observed. A luciferin analogue having a naphtyl group at C6-position showed a large blue shift of the emission spectrum, which improved the ratio of this BRET system.

[Kidney injury after cardiopulmonary bypass in infants with congenital heart disease].

Objective: To study kidney injury in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods: Forty CHD infants undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB from October 2009 to July 2010 were enrolled. The concentrations of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cystatin C (CysC) and urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were detected using ELISA before bypass, at the end of surgery, and 2 hrs, 6 hrs and 24 hrs after surgery.

Increased levels of lead in the blood and frequencies of lymphocytic micronucleated binucleated cells among workers from an electronic-waste recycling site.

In recent years, adverse health effects of chemicals from electronic waste (e-waste) have been reported. However, little is known about the genotoxic effects of chemicals in e-waste. In the present study, air concentrations of the toxic metals at e-waste and control sites were analyzed using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

A new ursane-type triterpenoid from Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Frodin.

A new ursane-type triterpenoid (1), together with 15 known compounds (2-16), was isolated from the barks of Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Frodin. The structure of the new compound was determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data including IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

The amyloid formation mechanism in human IAPP: dimers have β-strand monomer-monomer interfaces.

Early oligomerization of human IAPP (hIAPP) is responsible for β-cell death in the pancreas and is increasingly considered a primary pathological process linked to Type II Diabetes (T2D). Yet, the assembly mechanism remains poorly understood, largely due to the inability of conventional techniques to probe distributions or detailed structures of early oligomeric species. Here, we describe the first experimental data on the isolated and unmodified dimers of human (hIAPP) and nonamyloidogenic rat IAPP (rIAPP).

Asia-Pacific Working Group consensus on non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), especially peptic ulcer bleeding, remains one of the most important cause of hospitalisation and mortality world wide. In Asia, with a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection, a potential difference in drug metabolism, and a difference in clinical management of UGIB due to variable socioeconomic environments, it is considered necessary to re-examine the International Consensus of Non-variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding with emphasis on data generated from the region. The working group, which comprised experts from 12 countries from Asia, recommended the use of the Blatchford score for selection of patients who require endoscopic intervention and which would allow early discharge of patients at low risk.

Coarse-grained models for protein aggregation.

The aggregation of soluble proteins into fibrillar species is a complex process that spans many lengths and time scales, and that involves the formation of numerous on-pathway and off-pathway intermediate species. Despite this complexity, several elements underlying the aggregation process appear to be universal. The kinetics typically follows a nucleation-growth process, and proteins with very different sequences aggregate to form similar fibril structures, populating intermediates with sufficient structural similarity to bind to a common antibody.

Absorption control in immunohistochemistry using phospho-peptides immobilized on magnetic beads.

Although phospho-specific primary antibodies used in immunohistochemistry (IHC) are expected to detect phosphorylated proteins, in some cases these antibodies may also cross-react with nonphosphorylated proteins. Therefore, it is of ultimate importance to employ a control to determine that the staining pattern is specific. One of the frequently used controls in IHC is a so-called absorption control: phospho-specific primary antibodies are first incubated with a phospho-peptide immunogen to block antibody-binding sites, and this mixture is subsequently applied to tissue sections.

Intra-atrial repair for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection.

The natural history of total pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) is unfavorable per se. We describe a modified technique of intra-atrial repair in infants with supra- and infracardiac TAPVC. Twenty patients were treated.

On the origin of the stronger binding of PIB over thioflavin T to protofibrils of the Alzheimer amyloid-β peptide: a molecular dynamics study.

Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) is a neutral derivative of the fluorescent dye Thioflavin T (ThT), which displays enhanced hydrophobicity and binding affinity to amyloid fibrils. We present molecular dynamics simulations of binding of PIB and ThT to a common cross-β-subunit of the Alzheimer Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ). Our simulations of binding to Aβ(9-40) protofibrils show that PIB, like ThT, selectively binds to the hydrophobic or aromatic surface grooves on the β-sheet surface along the fibril axis.

Aurora-A promotes gefitinib resistance via a NF-κB signaling pathway in p53 knockdown lung cancer cells.

Mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene are the most common mutations found in human tumors. There is increasing evidence that suggests that p53 status is a determinant of chemosensitivity of tumor cells. We have previously demonstrated that p53 is a crucial regulator in mediating gefitinib-induced cell death, which upregulates apoptosis-related molecules.

Association of depressive symptoms and social support on blood pressure among urban African American women and girls.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between depressive symptoms and perceived social support on blood pressure in African American women.

Data Sources: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 159 African American women from multiple sites in the Detroit Metro area.

Conclusions: Results from this study found that both higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure were positively associated with higher depressive symptom scores (r= .

On the origins of the weak folding cooperativity of a designed ββα ultrafast protein FSD-1.

FSD-1, a designed small ultrafast folder with a ββα fold, has been actively studied in the last few years as a model system for studying protein folding mechanisms and for testing of the accuracy of computational models. The suitability of this protein to describe the folding of naturally occurring α/β proteins has recently been challenged based on the observation that the melting transition is very broad, with ill-resolved baselines. Using molecular dynamics simulations with the AMBER protein force field (ff96) coupled with the implicit solvent model (IGB = 5), we shed new light into the nature of this transition and resolve the experimental controversies.

A fast and simple method to fabricate circular microchannels in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

A simple method to fabricate circular microchannels in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is presented. A coating of liquid PDMS is applied on the walls of rectangular microchannels, fabricated using standard soft-lithography, by introducing a pressurized air stream inside the PDMS filled microchannels. Surface tension of the liquid PDMS forces the coating to take a circular cross-section which is preserved by baking the device to cure the coated layer.

Family Adaptability and Cohesion and High Blood Pressure among Urban African American women.

African American women are at greater risk for complications related to high blood pressure. This study examined relationships between high blood pressure, pulse pressure, body mass index, family adaptability, family cohesion and social support among 146 Urban African American women. Significant relationships were found between family adaptability and systolic blood pressure (p = .

Diseases in children born to mothers with preeclampsia: a population-based sibling cohort study.

Objective: We previously reported associations between preeclampsia and the occurrence of metabolic and respiratory diseases in the offspring. In this article we examine whether the associations were due to preeclampsia or factors leading to preeclampsia.

Study Design: From 1978 through 2004, we identified 22,264 discordant sib-pairs in Denmark according to prenatal exposure to preeclampsia.

[Repairing finger's penetrating soft tissue defects with "dumbbell" fascial metacarpal flap pedicled with skin perforator of dorsal metacarpal artery].

Objective: To assess the effect of "dumbbell" fascial metacarpal flap pedicled with skin perforator of dorsal metacarpal artery in treating the finger's penetrating soft tissue defect.

Methods: From February 2006 to August 2009, according to the courses, branches and distributions of the dorsal metacarpal artery, a "dumbbell" fascial metacarpal flap was designed and transposed to cover the penetrating soft tissue defects in 9 fingers.

Results: All of 9 flaps survived and got primary healing.

Epstein-Barr virus DNA load in tumour tissues correlates with poor differentiation status in non-muscle invasive urothelial carcinomas.

Objective: To detect the correlation between the clinical staging, grading and genomic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viral numbers in tumour tissues of urothelial carcinoma patients.

Patients And Methods: From June 2004 to May 2008, 60 urothelial carcinoma patients (50 cases of bladder carcinoma and 10 of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) were enrolled in the study. Eight patients who underwent transurethral resection of prostate for prostate hyperplasia and two patients receiving nephrectomy for non-function kidney were used as normal controls.

Lesions of nucleus accumbens affect morphine-induced release of ascorbic acid and GABA but not of glutamate in rats.

Our previous studies have shown that local perfusion of morphine causes an increase of extracellular ascorbic acid (AA) levels in nucleus accumbens (NAc) of freely moving rats. Lines of evidence showed that glutamatergic and GABAergic were associated with morphine-induced effects on the neurotransmission of the brain, especially on the release of AA. In the present study, the effects of morphine on the release of extracellular AA, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) in the NAc following bilateral NAc lesions induced by kainic acid (KA) were studied by using the microdialysis technique, coupled to high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) and fluorescent detection (HPLC-FD).

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is an upstream regulator of prodynorphin mRNA expression in neurons.

Although dynorphins are widely involved in the control of not only nociceptive neurotransmission but also a variety of brain functions such as memory and emotion, no natural regulator for inducing the mRNA expression of prodynorphin (Pdyn), a precursor protein of dynorphins, is known. Using primary cultures of rat cortical neurons, we found that pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a member of the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)/secretin/glucagon neuropeptide family, markedly induces Pdyn mRNA expression. PACAP was much more effective than VIP, indicating a major role for PAC1 in the PACAP-induced Pdyn mRNA expression.

Early or recurrent preterm birth and maternal cardiovascular disease risk.

Purpose: Preterm birth (PTB) has been associated with a later increased risk of maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD). We hypothesized a more pronounced relation between early or recurrent PTB and maternal CVD risk.

Methods: We related PTB severity (earlier gestational age at delivery) and recurrence (>/=2) among women with births from 1973-1983 in Denmark (n = 427,765) to maternal CVD morbidity or mortality (1977-2006).

Sensitive and convenient yeast reporter assay for high-throughput analysis by using a secretory luciferase from Cypridina noctiluca.

The yeast reporter assay has been widely used in various applications such as detection of endocrine disruptors and analysis of protein-protein interactions by the yeast two-hybrid system. The molecular characteristics of the reporter enzyme are critical determinants for this assay. We herein report the establishment of a novel yeast reporter assay using a secretory luciferase, Cypridina noctiluca luciferase (CLuc), as an alternative to the conventional beta-galactosidase.

Molecular structures of quiescently grown and brain-derived polymorphic fibrils of the Alzheimer amyloid abeta9-40 peptide: a comparison to agitated fibrils.

The presence of amyloid deposits consisting primarily of Amyloid-beta (Abeta) fibril in the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The morphologies of these fibrils are exquisitely sensitive to environmental conditions. Using molecular dynamics simulations combined with data from previously published solid-state NMR experiments, we propose the first atomically detailed structures of two asymmetric polymorphs of the Abeta(9-40) peptide fibril.