[Land use pattern change in Ejin Delta of Northwest China during 1930-2010].

The land use and landscape pattern in the lower reaches of the arid inland river basin is meaningful to water resource allocation. Based on the land use data in 1930, 1961, 1990, 2000, 2010, the purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze the change of landscape pattern in the Ejin Delta in the lower reaches of the Heihe River Basin, a typical inland river basin in Northwest China. The results showed that the desert area accounted for 73.

PPARα/γ agonists and antagonists differently affect hepatic lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine production in steatohepatitic rats.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α/γ may control lipid metabolism and inflammatory response by regulating the downstream target genes, and play a crucial role in the process of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) formation, but the difference and interaction between PPARα and PPARγ are poorly understood. The rat model with NASH was established by orally feeding high-fat and high-sucrose emulsion for 6weeks. The results shown that after the model rats were simultaneously treated with PPARα/γ agonists, the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and inflammatory cytokine levels in serum and hepatic tissue, the hepatic steatosis and inflammatory cellular infiltration were decreased, and were consistent with the results of hepatic lipogenic gene and nuclear factor (NF)-κB protein expressions.

[Effects of umbilical cord mononuclear cells transplantation combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy on hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal rats].

Objective: To study the effects of umbilical cord monoculcear cells (UCBMC) transplantation combined with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on the long-term behaviors and histology in neonatal rats after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD).

Methods: Seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: normal control (CON), HIBD, UCBMC and UCBMC+HBO. HIBD was induced according to the Rice-Vannucci method.

Phylogeny and differentiation of the St genome in Elymus L. sensu lato (Triticeae; Poaceae) based on one nuclear DNA and two chloroplast genes.

Background: Hybridization and polyploidization can be major mechanisms for plant evolution and speciation. Thus, the process of polyploidization and evolutionary history of polyploids is of widespread interest. The species in Elymus L.

Association of β2-microglobulin with the prognosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a meta analysis.

Objective: The influence of β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) on the prognosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) remains controversial. This study performed meta-analyses to evaluate the prognostic value of β2-MG on the overall survival (OS) of NHL.

Methods: Through a search of relevant literature in PubMed, EMbase, Science Direct, OVID and Wanfang databases from 1980-2013, the hazard ratios (HRs) of OS between the normal β2-MG group and the increased β2-MG group were retrieved, and the results were combined using a fixed effect model and a random effect model.

Expression of Spindle and Kinetochore-Associated Protein 1 Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Aim: Spindle and kinetochore-associated protein 1 (SKA1) is one subtype of SKA, whose protein can make spindle microtubules attach steadily to the kinetochore in the middle of mitosis. At present, there are fewer researches on the relationship between SKA1 expression and tumor development.

Methods: In this study, immunohistochemical analysis was used to determine the expression of SKA1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and adjacent tissues.

Pre-treatment with LCZ696, an orally active angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor, prevents ischemic brain damage.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are known to prevent ischemic brain damage after stroke. Natriuretic peptides, which are increased by a neprilysin inhibitor, are also reported to protect against brain damage. Therefore, we investigated the possible protective effect of valsartan (VAL) compared with LCZ696 (VAL+ neprilysin inhibitor; 1:1) after middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion.

Low-Protein Diet-Induced Fetal Growth Restriction Leads to Exaggerated Proliferative Response to Vascular Injury in Postnatal Life.

Background: We investigated the effects of fetal growth restriction (FGR) induced by maternal protein restriction on inflammatory vascular remodeling using a cuff-induced vascular injury mouse model.

Methods: Dams (C57BL/6J strain mice) were fed an isocaloric diet containing 20% protein (normal protein; NP) or 8% protein (low protein; LP) from 10 weeks of age until delivery. On the day of delivery, all dams were returned to the NP diet.

Breast Cancer Challenges and Screening in China: Lessons From Current Registry Data and Population Screening Studies.

Background: As one of its responses to the increasing global burden of breast cancer (BC), China has deployed a national registration and BC screening campaign. The present report describes these programs and the initial results of these national BC control strategies, highlighting the challenges to be considered.

Materials And Methods: The primary BC incidence and prevalence data were obtained from the Chinese National Central Cancer Registry.

[Effect of climate change on rice irrigation water requirement in Songnen Plain, Northeast China].

Based on meteorological data from China national weather stations and climate scenario grid data through regional climate model provided by National Climate Center, rice water requirement was calculated by using McCloud model and Penman-Monteith model combined with crop coefficient approach. Then the rice irrigation water requirement was estimated by water balance model, and the changes of rice water requirement were analyzed. The results indicated that either in historical period or in climate scenario, rice irrigation water requirement contour lines during the whole growth period and Lmid period decreased along southwest to northeast, and the same irrigation water requirement contour line moved north with decade alternation.

Gene Manipulation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells by In Vitro-Synthesized mRNA for Gene Therapy.

The difficulty in producing genetically modified human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) limits research on their applications. Virus-based gene transfer is not safe for clinical use, whereas DNAbased non-viral methods are not efficient or safe, and mRNA-based methods are useful for genetic manipulation. In this study, we easily obtained multiple types and large amounts of in vitro-synthesized mRNA by PCR.

Expression and purification recombinant antihypertensive peptide ameliorates hypertension in rats with spontaneous hypertension.

A highly efficient Escherichia coli expression system was established to obtain an appreciable quantity of antihypertensive peptide. The DNA-coding sequence for the Gly-Val-Tyr-Pro-His-Lys peptide was chemically synthesized and linked to form a ten-copy in tandem. It was cloned into the vector pET-15b and expressed in E.

Suppression of phosphatase and tensin homolog protects insulin-resistant cells from apoptosis.

In the present study, a glucosamine-induced model of insulin-resistant skeletal muscle cells was established in order to investigate the effect of inhibition of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) on these cells. The glucosamine-induced insulin-resistant skeletal muscle cells were produced and the rate of glucose uptake was measured using the glucose oxidase-peroxidase method. The expression levels of PTEN and phosphorylated PTEN (p-PTEN) were assessed using western blotting.

Assessment of radiofrequency ablation margin by MRI-MRI image fusion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the feasibility and clinical value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-MRI image fusion in assessing the ablative margin (AM) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: A newly developed ultrasound workstation for MRI-MRI image fusion was used to evaluate the AM of 62 tumors in 52 HCC patients after radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The lesions were divided into two groups: group A, in which the tumor was completely ablated and 5 mm AM was achieved (n = 32); and group B, in which the tumor was completely ablated but 5 mm AM was not achieved (n = 29).

[An efficient genetic knockout system based on linear DNA fragment homologous recombination for halophilic archaea].

With the development of functional genomics, gene-knockout is becoming an important tool to elucidate gene functions in vivo. As a good model strain for archaeal genetics, Haloferax volcanii has received more attention. Although several genetic manipulation systems have been developed for some halophilic archaea, it is time-consuming because of the low percentage of positive clones during the second-recombination selection.

Testis specific serine/threonine protein kinase 4 (TSSK4) leads to cell apoptosis relying on its kinase activity.

Testis specific serine/threonine protein kinase 4 (TSSK4) belongs to the TSSK family, and its members play an important role in spermatogenesis and/or spermiogenesis. Mouse TSSK4 has been reported to be expressed exclusively in the testis and can maintain its kinase activity through autophosphorylation at Thr-197. However, its biological function remains poorly understood.

A new two-dimensional anionic cadmium(II) polymer constructed through thiocyanate coordination bridges.

A new cadmium-thiocyanate complex, poly[4-(dimethylamino)pyridin-1-ium [di-μ-thiocyanato-κ(2)N:S;κ(2)S:N-thiocyanato-κN-cadmium(II)]], {(C7H11N2)[Cd(NCS)3]}n, was synthesized by the reaction of cadmium thiocyanate and 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine hydrochloride in aqueous solution. In the crystal structure, each Cd(II) ion is square-pyramidally coordinated by three N and two S atoms from five different thiocyanate ligands, four of which are bridging. The thiocyanate ligands play different roles in the build up of the structure; one role results in the formation of [Cd2(NCS)2] building blocks, while the other links the building blocks and cations via N-H···S hydrogen bonds.

Continuous DC-CIK infusions restore CD8+ cellular immunity, physical activity and improve clinical efficacy in advanced cancer patients unresponsive to conventional treatments.

Background: There are few choices for treatment of advanced cancer patients who do not respond to or tolerate conventional anti-cancer treatments. Therefore this study aimed to deploy the benefits and clinical efficacy of continuous dendritic cell-cytokine induced killer cell infusions in such patients.

Materials And Methods: A total of 381 infusions (from 67 advanced cases recruited) were included in this study.

Association of plasma Fetuin-A and clinical characteristics in patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Context: Fetuin-A is an abundant plasma protein known to inhibit insulin signaling and pathologic calcification, has emerged as a promising candidate biomarker for diabetes risk.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between plasma Fetuin-A level with clinical characteristics in patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (nT2DM).

Subjects And Methods: Plasma Fetuin-A levels, and clinical characteristics were assessed in 100 patients with nT2DM and 100 normal glucose tolerance (NGT).

Genome-wide 5-hydroxymethylcytosine modification pattern is a novel epigenetic feature of globozoospermia.

Discovery of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in mammalian genomes has excited the field of epigenetics, but information on the genome-wide distribution of 5hmC is limited. Globozoospermia is a rare but severe cause of male infertility. To date, the epigenetic mechanism, especially 5hmC profiles involved in globozoospermia progression, remains largely unknown.

Angiotensin II type 2 receptor signaling affects dopamine levels in the brain and prevents binge eating disorder.

Introduction: Binge eating disorder (BED) is associated with dopaminergic activation as food reward, resulting in metabolism-related disorders. Stimulation of angiotensin type 2 (AT2) receptor is reported to inhibit dopamine synthesis. We investigated the possible roles of AT2 receptor-mediated dopamine regulation in the pathogenesis of BED.

Direct angiotensin II type 2 receptor stimulation by compound 21 prevents vascular dementia.

Angiotensin II type 2 (AT(2)) receptor activation has been reported to play a role in cognitive function, although its detailed mechanisms and pathologic significance are not fully understood. We examined the possibility that direct AT(2) receptor stimulation by compound 21 (C21) could prevent cognitive decline associated with hypoperfusion in the brain.We employed a bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) model in mice as a model of vascular dementia.

Optimized codon usage enhances the expression and immunogenicity of DNA vaccine encoding Taenia solium oncosphere TSOL18 gene.

Cysticercosis due to larval cysts of Taenia solium, is a serious public health problem affecting humans in numerous regions worldwide. The oncospheral stage-specific TSOL18 antigen is a promising candidate for an anti-cysticercosis vaccine. It has been reported that the immunogenicity of the DNA vaccine may be enhanced through codon optimization of candidate genes.

Drinking citrus fruit juice inhibits vascular remodeling in cuff-induced vascular injury mouse model.

Citrus fruits are thought to have inhibitory effects on oxidative stress, thereby attenuating the onset and progression of cancer and cardiovascular disease; however, there are few reports assessing their effect on vascular remodeling. Here, we investigated the effect of drinking the juice of two different citrus fruits on vascular neointima formation using a cuff-induced vascular injury mouse model. Male C57BL6 mice were divided into five groups as follows: 1) Control (water) (C), 2) 10% Citrus unshiu (CU) juice (CU10), 3) 40% CU juice (CU40), 4) 10% Citrus iyo (CI) juice (CI10), and 5) 40% CI juice (CI40).

Osthole inhibits inflammatory cytokine release through PPARα/γ-mediated mechanisms in LPS-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Context: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α/γ may control inflammatory response by regulating the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). Osthole may be a dual agonist of PPARα/γ, but whether or not osthole may inhibit inflammatory cytokines in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes is unclear.

Objective: We investigated the action of osthole and its potential mechanisms in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes.