Novel Semiconductive Ternary Hybrid Heterostructures for Artificial Optoelectronic Synapses.

Synaptic devices that mimic biological synapses are considered as promising candidates for brain-inspired devices, offering the functionalities in neuromorphic computing. However, modulation of emerging optoelectronic synaptic devices has rarely been reported. Herein, a semiconductive ternary hybrid heterostructure is prepared with a D-D'-A configuration by introducing polyoxometalate (POM) as an additional electroactive donor (D') into a metalloviologen-based D-A framework.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide promotes synaptic plasticity gene expression through regulation N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor/Ca/Erk1/2 pathway.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) has been reported to regulate synaptic plasticity recently, while its role in this process remains unclear. To explore the contribution and the underlying mechanisms of NADH regulating synaptic plasticity, here, we examined NADH's effect on immediate-early response genes (IEGs) expressions, including C-Fos and Arc in primary cultured cortical neurons and the frontal cortex of mouse brain. Our results showed that NADH promoted IEGs expression and that the C-Fos and Arc levels are increased in primary cultured cortical neurons, which is almost completely blocked by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) inhibitor, MK-801.

Plasma levels of alarmin HNPs 1-3 associate with lung dysfunction after cardiac surgery in children.

Background: Early onset of lung injury is considerable common after cardiac surgery and is associated with increasing in morbidity and mortality, but current clinical predictors for the occurrence of this complication always have limited positive warning value. This study aimed to evaluate whether elevated plasma levels of human neutrophil peptides (HNPs) 1-3 herald impaired lung function in infants and young children after cardiac surgery necessitating cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods: Consecutive children younger than 3 years old who underwent cardiac surgery were prospectively enrolled.

Resveratrol inhibits proliferation, promotes differentiation and melanogenesis in HT-144 melanoma cells through inhibition of MEK/ERK kinase pathway.

The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of resveratrol on the viability of HT-144 melanoma cells and formation of melanin. MTT assay was used for analysis of cell viability and western blot for determination of phospho-Mek 1/2, phospho-Erk 1/2 (Tyr-204), Mitf, PBG-D and p-CREB-1 expression. MTT assay results showed that treatment of HT-144 cells with various doses of resveratrol led to a concentration dependent inhibition of proliferation.

High nuclear expression of Twist1 in the skeletal extramedullary disease of myeloma patients predicts inferior survival.

The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-inducing transcription factors, including Twist1 and ZEB1, in skeletal extramedullary disease (EMD) of multiple myeloma (MM) patients and to clarify the effects on clinical outcomes. The expression of Twist1 and ZEB1 in the bone marrow (BM) and the masses of skeletal EMD from 70 MM cases with skeletal EMD and 30 MM patients without skeletal EMD were determined by immunohistochemistry. The results demonstrated that the percentage of high nuclear staining for Twist1 was 24.

[Effect of various ambient temperatures on activities of mitochondrial complex II in patients of deficiency-cold syndrome and deficiency-heat syndrome].

Objective: To explore activity laws of mitochondrial complex II in patients of deficiency-cold syndrome (DCS) and deficiency-heat syndrome (DHS) under various ambient temperatures.

Methods: Subjects were recruited by questionnaire and expert diagnosis from grade 1 - 3 undergraduates at Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in November 2012, and assigned to a normal control group, the DCS group, and the DHS group, 20 in each group. Their venous blood samples were collected at two different temperature conditions.

Resistance to apoptosis should not be taken as a hallmark of cancer.

In the research community, resistance to apoptosis is often considered a hallmark of cancer. However, pathologists who diagnose cancer via microscope often see the opposite. Indeed, increased apoptosis and mitosis are usually observed simultaneously in cancerous lesions.

MiR-139 targets CXCR4 and inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of laryngeal squamous carcinoma cells.

Our previous studies have showed that chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) was over-expressed in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). However, the mechanism underlying aberrant CXCR4 expression remains unclear. To investigate the roles played by miRNAs in CXCR4 over-expression in LSCC, putative miR-139 was predicted through computational algorithms, including TargetScan, PicTar and miRBase, and luciferase reporter assay was explored to confirm that whether CXCR4 was directly regulated by miR-139.

Role of pepsin and pepsinogen: linking laryngopharyngeal reflux with otitis media with effusion in children.

Objectives/hypothesis: To analyze the relationship between laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) represented by pepsin and pepsinogen, and pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion (OME).

Study Design: Prospective case-control study.

Methods: Children with OME who required adenoidectomy and tympanostomy/tympanostomy tubes placement were enrolled in OME group, whereas children with adenoid hypertrophy (AH) who required adenoidectomy and individuals who required cochlear implantation (CI) were enrolled in AH and CI groups, respectively.

Overexpression of FXYD-3 is involved in the tumorigenesis and development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the association of FXYD-3 expression with clinicopathological variables and PINCH in patients with ESCC.

Patients And Methods: Expression of FXYD-3 protein was immunohistochemically examined in normal esophageal mucous (n = 20) and ESCC (n = 64).

Results: Expression of FXYD-3 in the cytoplasm markedly increased from normal esophageal epithelial cells to primary ESCC (P = 0.

Monitoring infection: from blood culture to polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

In patients with sepsis, diagnosis of blood stream infection (BSI) is a key concern to the therapist. Direct verification of pathogens in the blood stream executed by blood cultures (BC) still is regarded as the gold standard up to date. The quickest possible initiation of an appropriate antimicrobial therapy is a cornerstone of an effective therapy.

Effects of sterigmatocystin on esophageal epithelium and experimental reflux esophagitis in rats.

Patients with reflux esophagitis experience an increased incidence of esophageal cancer. In China, this may be the result of contamination of the food supply by Aspergillus fungi, which is known to harbor sterigmatocystin, a carcinogenic mycotoxin. To delineate the potential link between sterigmatocystin and esophageal cancer, an experimental model of reflux esophagitis was developed in rats that had undergone a cardiectomy and partial pylorus ligation.

Relationship of RhoA signaling activity with ezrin expression and its significance in the prognosis for breast cancer patients.

Background: We have recently reported that RhoA may regulate the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells as an upstream signal of ezrin in vitro. In this study, we examined the relationship of RhoA signaling activity with ezrin expression in breast cancer and its prognostic significance in patients with breast cancer.

Methods: Paraffin tumor sections of breast cancer were collected retrospectively from 487 patients diagnosed between 2001 and 2004.

Cytoplasmic expression of p33(ING1b) is correlated with tumorigenesis and progression of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

p33(ING1b), a newly discovered candidate tumor suppressor gene and a nuclear protein, belongs to the inhibitor of growth gene family. Previous studies have shown that p33(ING1b) is involved in the restriction of cell growth and proliferation, apoptosis, tumor anchorage-independent growth, cellular senescence, maintenance of genomic stability and modulation of cell cycle checkpoints. Loss of nuclear p33(ING1b) has been observed in melanoma, seminoma, papillary thyroid carcinoma, oral squamous cell carcinoma, breast ductal cancer and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Putative role of the mTOR/4E-BP1 signaling pathway in the carcinogenesis and progression of gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma.

The mammalian target of rapamycin/eukaryotic translation inititiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (mTOR/4E-BP1) transduction pathway is activated in a range of malignant cancers, but its role in human gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma (GCA) has not been well defined. The present study used western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to assess the expression of mTOR, 4E-BP1 and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) at the protein and mRNA levels in 33 cases of GCA and paired adjacent normal gastric mucosal tissues. The expression of mTOR at the protein level in GCA was significantly lower than that in the corresponding normal gastric mucosa (0.

PINCH expression and its clinicopathological significance in gastric adenocarcinoma.

Objective: Particularly interesting new cysteine-histidine rich protein (PINCH) is an important component of the local adhesion complexes and upregulated in several types of malignancies, and involved in the incidence and development of tumours. PINCH expression is also independently correlated with poorer survival in patients with colorectal cancer. However, there is no study of PINCH in gastric cancer, therefore, the aim of this project was to investigate PINCH expression and its clinicopathological significance in gastric adenocarcinoma.

[Exploration of the association of H. pylori and EBV infection with cardiac and distal gastric adenocarcinoma among residents in Cixian County, a high-risk area of esophgeal cancer in Hebei province].

Objective: To evaluate the H. pylori and Epstein-Barr virus infection in cardiac and distal gastric adenocarcinoma tissues in residents in Cixian county, a high risk area of esophageal cancer in Hebei province, and to explore the putative role of H. pylori and Epstein-Barr virus infection in the carcinogenesis of adenocarcinoma at different subsites of stomach.

Effects of sterigmatocystin on TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-12 expression in murine peripheral blood mononuclear cells and peritoneal macrophages in vivo.

Sterigmatocystin (ST) is a toxic metabolite mainly produced by the fungi Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus versicolor. ST is considered a potent carcinogen, mutagen and teratogen. However, over the past few years, it has been demonstrated that it is less acutely toxic to rodents in vivo.

TNF-α increases bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell migration to ischemic tissues.

The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of TNF-α on rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and to assess feasibility of MSC transplantation to repair ischemic injury. In this study, adhesion molecules and cell specific surface markers on MSCs were measured after exposure to different concentrations of TNF-α. MSCs stimulated with varying concentrations of TNF-α were cultured with aortic endothelial cells, and the adhesion rate was measured.

Low-dose epirubicin inhibits ezrin-mediated metastatic behavior of breast cancer cells.

Aims And Background: Overexpression of ezrin contributes to the progression and invasiveness of several human cancers; however, its role in breast cancer metastasis has not been investigated in detail.

Methods: Ezrin expression in tissue samples from patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast was detected by immunohistochemistry. Ezrin expression in a breast cancer cell line was evaluated using Western blot and RT-PCR.

Involvement of MAPK and PI3K signaling pathway in sterigmatocystin-induced G2 phase arrest in human gastric epithelium cells.

Scope: Sterigmatocystin (ST), a mycotoxin commonly found in foodstuff and feedstuff, has been shown to be a carcinogenic mycotoxin in animal models. Many studies showed that the high level of ST contamination in grains might be related to the high incidence of gastric carcinoma in rural areas of China. However, up to now, the potential effects of ST on human gastric epithelium cells remain largely unknown.

[Expression and significance of N-cadherin and β-catenin protein in osteosarcoma].

Objective: To evaluate the expression of N-cadherin and β-catenin protein and their relationship with clinicopathological characteristics of osteosarcoma.

Methods: The expressions of N-cadherin and β-catenin at protein level were detected by immunohistochemical staining in 54 cases of osteosarcoma, 11 cases of osteoid osteoma, 7 cases of osteoblastoma and 8 cases of newly formed bone in nonmalignant bone diseases. The relationship between the two indexes and clinicopathological characteristics of osteosarcoma was analyzed.