Controlling the spin and valley degeneracy splitting in monolayer MnPSe by atom doping.

Monolayer manganese chalcogenophosphates MnPSe possess a pair of non-degenerate energy valleys in the vicinities of the vertices of the hexagonal Brillouin zone, which exhibit fascinating optical valley polarization. However, the spin is still degenerate due to antiferromagnetic coupling between Mn ions. In this paper we propose a strategy to realize simultaneously the spin and valley degeneracy splitting by the doping-induced Zeeman effect in monolayer MnPSe.

Association between CYP3A5 genotypes with hypertension in Chinese Han population: A case-control study.

Background: The association of CYP3A5 gene polymorphisms with hypertension in the Chinese population is unknown. We explored the association between the CYP3A5 (rs776746) gene and hypertension in the Chinese Han population.

Methods: Using a case-control design, 340 cases and 254 controls were enrolled from the Third Affiliated Hospital of South Medical University between July and December of 2015.

Tunable Supramolecular Hexagonal Columnar Structures of Hydrogen-Bonded Copolymers Containing Two Different Sized Dendritic Side Chains.

Polymer structures with tunable symmetry and sizes are desired for applications such as lithography, filtration membranes, and separation. Here we report the self-assembled supramolecular hexagonal columnar (Φ) structures with tunable lattice size varying from 5 to 7 nm by constructing hydrogen-bonded copolymers bearing poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) and two dendritic molecular additives, 1-[4'-(3″,4″,5″-tridecyloxybenzoyloxy)phenyleneoxycarbonyl]-3-[(4″-hydroxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]benzene (12CBP) and 4-hydroxyphenyl (3,4,5-tridecyloxy)benzoate (12CTB). Despite the distinct molecular size difference between 12CBP and 12CTB, the resulting ternary supramolecular copolymers, P4VP(12CBP)(12CTB), possess a homogeneous Φ phase at ≥ 0.

IL-6R/STAT3/miR-204 feedback loop contributes to cisplatin resistance of epithelial ovarian cancer cells.

Enhanced chemoresistance is, among other factors, believed to be responsible for treatment failure and tumor relapse in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Here, we exposed EOC cells to interleukin-6 (IL-6) to activate oncogenic STAT3, which directly repressed miR-204 via a conserved STAT3-binding site near the TRPM3 promoter region upstream of miR-204. Repression of miR-204 was required for IL-6-induced cisplatin (cDDP) resistance.

A meta-analysis of the association between BRAF mutation and nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Background: Previous studies investigating the association between BRAF mutations and nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain controversial. To address the issue, we performed an updated meta-analysis of related articles.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search in the electronic databases including ISI Science Citation Index, EMBASE, PubMed, and CNKI (up to January 2016).

[Reactivity-based Anthropogenic VOCs Emission Inventory in China].

A reactivity-based anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission inventory in China in 2010 was developed on the basis of ozone formation potential (OFP), using the latest VOCs emission inventory, source profiles and maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) values. The results showed that the total anthropogenic OFP was 84187.61 kt in China in 2010, of which 6882.

High-throughput in situ cell electroporation microsystem for parallel delivery of single guide RNAs into mammalian cells.

Arrayed genetic screens mediated by the CRISPR/Cas9 technology with single guide RNA (sgRNA) libraries demand a high-throughput platform capable of transfecting diverse cell types at a high efficiency in a genome-wide scale for detection and analysis of sophisticated cellular phenotypes. Here we developed a high-throughput in situ cell electroporation (HiCEP) microsystem which leveraged the superhydrophobic feature of the microwell array to achieve individually controlled conditions in each microwell and coupled an interdigital electrode array chip with the microwells in a modular-based scheme for highly efficient delivery of exogenous molecules into cells. Two plasmids encoding enhanced green and red fluorescent proteins (EGFP and ERFP), respectively, were successfully electroporated into attached HeLa cells on a 169-microwell array chip with transfection efficiencies of 71.

Valley splitting in the transition-metal dichalcogenide monolayer via atom adsorption.

In this letter we study the valley degeneracy splitting of the transition-metal dichalcogenide monolayer by first-principles calculations. The local magnetic moments are introduced into the system when the transition-metal atoms are adsorbed on the monolayer surface. The Zeeman effect arising from the local magnetic moment at transition-metal atom sites lifts the valley degeneracy.

Synthesis and in vitro activity of dicationic indolyl diphenyl ethers as novel potent antibiotic agents against drug-resistant bacteria.

A series of 4,4'-bis-[2-(6-N-substituted-amidino)indolyl] diphenyl ether have been synthesized and tested for their in vitro antibacterial activity including a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens and cytotoxicity. Most of these compounds have mainly shown anti-Gram positive bacteria activities especially against drug resistant bacterial strains MRSA, MRSE and VRE. The anti-MRSA and anti-MRSE activities of compound 7a and 7j were more potent than that of the lead compound 2, levofloxacin and vancomycin.

Novel carbazole sulfonamide derivatives of antitumor agent: Synthesis, antiproliferative activity and aqueous solubility.

The current optimization of IG-105 (3) on the carbazole-ring provided a series of new carbazole sulfonamides derivatives 13a-13m. All of the compounds have been evaluated against HepG2 cells (hepatoma cancer) for antiproliferative activity. Compounds that showed activity better or comparable to that of 3 versus HepG2 were evaluated against MCF-7 (breast cancer), MIA PaCa-2 (pancreatic cancer), and Bel-7402 (hepatoma/liver cancer) for antiproliferative activity.

Age at menarche and risk of major cardiovascular diseases: Evidence of birth cohort effects from a prospective study of 300,000 Chinese women.

Background: Previous studies of mostly Western women have reported inconsistent findings on the association between age at menarche and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Little is known about the association in China where there has been a large intergenerational decrease in women's mean age at menarche.

Methods: The China Kadoorie Biobank recruited 302,632 women aged 30-79 (mean 50.

Research advances on animal genetics in China in 2015.

Chinese scientists have made significant achievements in the field of animal genetics in 2015. Incomplete statistics show that among all the publications of 2015 involving nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans), fly (Drosophila melanogaster), zebrafish (Danio rerio), African clawed frog (Xenopus) or mice (Mus musculus), about 1/5 publications are from China. Many innovative studies were published in high-impact international academic journals by Chinese scientists, including the identification of a putative magnetic receptor MagR, the genetic basis for the regulation of wing polyphenism in the insect brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens), DNA N-methyladenine (6mA) modification in the Drosophila genome, a novel molecular mechanism regarding the dendritic spine pruning and maturation in the mammals, the mechanism for the CREB coactivator CRTC2 in the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism, the control of systemic inflammation by neurotransmitter dopamine, the role of Gasdermin protein family in triggering pyroptosis, a parvalbumin-positive excitatory visual pathway to trigger fear responses in mice, etc.

Hepatitis B vaccine response in obesity: A meta-analysis.

Background: Hepatitis B vaccination is critical in preventing hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and transmission. However, the impact of obesity on immune response to hepatitis B vaccine remains unclear.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of the literature and summarized the results of immune response to hepatitis B vaccine among persons with and without obesity.

MiR-103a targeting Piezo1 is involved in acute myocardial infarction through regulating endothelium function.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is commonly known as the heart attack. The molecular events involved in the development of AMI remain unclear. This study was to investigate the expression of miR-103a in patients with high blood pressure (HBP) and AMI patients with and without HBP, as well as its effect on endothelial cell functions.

Effects of different fluid shear stress patterns on the in vitro degradation of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) acid membranes.

The applications of poly (lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) for coating or fabricating polymeric biodegradable stents (BDSs) have drawn more attention. The fluid shear stress has been proved to affect the in vitro degradation process of PLGA membranes. During the maintenance, BDSs could be suffered different patterns of fluid shear stress, but the effect of these different patterns on the whole degradation process is unclear.

MicroRNA-451 Negatively Regulates Hepatic Glucose Production and Glucose Homeostasis by Targeting Glycerol Kinase-Mediated Gluconeogenesis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a new class of regulatory molecules implicated in type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by insulin resistance and hepatic glucose overproduction. We show that miRNA-451 (miR-451) is elevated in the liver tissues of dietary and genetic mouse models of diabetes. Through an adenovirus-mediated gain- and loss-of-function study, we found that miR-451 negatively regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis and blood glucose levels in normal mice and identified glycerol kinase (Gyk) as a direct target of miR-451.

Calcium Hydroxide-induced Proliferation, Migration, Osteogenic Differentiation, and Mineralization via the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway in Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells.

Introduction: Calcium hydroxide has been extensively used as the gold standard for direct pulp capping in clinical dentistry. It induces proliferation, migration, and mineralization in dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway in calcium hydroxide-induced proliferation, migration, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization in human DPSCs.

Image and pathological features of Ewing's sarcoma in the oral and maxillofacial region.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the image and pathological features of Ewing's sarcoma (ES) in the oral and maxillofacial region.


Methods: Eight patients with ES in the oral and maxillofacial region were enrolled for this study. The X-ray, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of ES and the pathological data were systematically evaluated.

Decreasing the ratio of matriptase/HAI‑1 by downregulation of matriptase as a potential adjuvant therapy in ovarian cancer.

Tumor invasion and metastasis are complex biological processes. Matriptase and its endogenous inhibitor, hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor‑1 (HAI‑1) are involved in invasion and metastasis. To evaluate the ratio of matriptase/HAI‑1 and their potential therapeutic value in ovarian cancer, HO‑8910 human ovarian cancer cells and the homologous high‑metastatic HO‑8910PM cells were used as in vitro cellular models ovarian cancer.

MicroRNA-744 inhibited cervical cancer growth and progression through apoptosis induction by regulating Bcl-2.

Growing evidence suggests that microRNA plays an essential role in the development and metastasis of many tumor progressions, including cervical cancer. Aberrant miR-744 expression has been indicated in many growth of tumor, the mechanism of miR-744 inhibits both the proliferation and metastatic ability for cervical cancer remains unclear. Accumulating evidences reported that Bcl-2 signal pathway plays an important role in the cellular process, such as apoptosis, cell growth and proliferation.

High-throughput superhydrophobic microwell arrays for investigating multifactorial stem cell niches.

Understanding the complex regulatory network that determines stem cell fates requires a high-throughput platform that can generate a large number of precisely controlled microenvironments representing multiple factors for stem cell culture and analysis. Here, we developed a superhydrophobic microwell array chip on which the culture conditions in each microwell can be spontaneously isolated by a grafted layer of superhydrophobic polymers. Simple steps for medium exchange were developed to facilitate the on-chip culture of both adherent and non-adherent cells for up to six days without compromising cell viability and functionality.

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of novel 11-[3-[(arylcarbamoyl)oxy]propylamino]-11-deoxy-6-O-methyl-3-oxoerythromycin A 11-N,12-O-cyclic carbamate derivatives.

A series of novel 11-[3-[(arylcarbamoyl)oxy]propylamino]-11-deoxy-6-O-methyl-3-oxoerythromycin A 11-N,12-O-cyclic carbamate derivatives (6a-h) were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial activities in vitro. Most of these compounds had significant antibacterial activity against two groups of pathogens of Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MIC=0.031-2 μg ml) except 6g and Methicillin-sensitive S.

Sonographic Alteration of Basal Ganglia in Different Forms of Primary Focal Dystonia: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Few studies have addressed whether abnormalities in the lenticular nucleus (LN) are characteristic transcranial sonography (TCS) echo features in patients with primary dystonia. This study aimed to explore alterations in the basal ganglia in different forms of primary focal dystonia.

Methods: cross-sectional observational study was performed between December 2013 and December 2014 in 80 patients with different forms of primary focal dystonia and 55 neurologically normal control subjects.

Deoxynivalenol induces apoptosis in PC12 cells via the mitochondrial pathway.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) has broad toxicity in animals and humans. In this study the impact of DON treatment on apoptotic pathways in PC12 cells was determined. The effects of DON were evaluated on (i) typical indicators of apoptosis, including cellular morphology, cell activity, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and apoptosis ratio in PC12 cells, and on (ii) the expression of key genes and proteins related to apoptosis, including Bcl-2, Bax, Bid, cytochrome C (Cyt C), apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), cleaved-Caspase9, and cleaved-Caspase3.

Crystal structures of Apo and GMP bound hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase from Legionella pneumophila and the implications in gouty arthritis.

Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) (EC 2.4.2.