Role of human pulmonary fibroblast-derived MCP-1 in cell activation and migration in experimental silicosis.

Background: Silicosis is a systemic disease caused by inhaling silicon dioxide (SiO2). Phagocytosis of SiO2 in the lung initiates an inflammatory cascade that results in fibroblast proliferation and migration and subsequent fibrosis. Clinical evidence indicates that the activation of alveolar macrophages by SiO2 produces rapid and sustained inflammation that is characterized by the generation of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), which induces fibrosis.

Effects of hydrogen-rich saline on early acute kidney injury in severely burned rats by suppressing oxidative stress induced apoptosis and inflammation.

Background: Early acute kidney injury (AKI) in severely burned patients predicts a high mortality that is multi-factorial. Hydrogen has been reported to alleviate organ injury via selective quenching of reactive oxygen species. This study investigated the potential protective effects of hydrogen against severe burn-induced early AKI in rats.

Edaravone combined with Schwann cell transplantation may repair spinal cord injury in rats.

Edaravone has been shown to delay neuronal apoptosis, thereby improving nerve function and the microenvironment after spinal cord injury. Edaravone can provide a favorable environment for the treatment of spinal cord injury using Schwann cell transplantation. This study used rat models of complete spinal cord transection at T9.

Astaxanthin attenuates early acute kidney injury following severe burns in rats by ameliorating oxidative stress and mitochondrial-related apoptosis.

Early acute kidney injury (AKI) is a devastating complication in critical burn patients, and it is associated with severe morbidity and mortality. The mechanism of AKI is multifactorial. Astaxanthin (ATX) is a natural compound that is widely distributed in marine organisms; it is a strong antioxidant and exhibits other biological effects that have been well studied in various traumatic injuries and diseases.

Synchronization of networked chaotic oscillators under external periodic driving.

The dynamical responses of a complex system to external perturbations are of both fundamental interest and practical significance. Here, by the model of networked chaotic oscillators, we investigate how the synchronization behavior of a complex network is influenced by an externally added periodic driving. Interestingly, it is found that by a slight change of the properties of the external driving, e.

Online State-Based Structured SVM Combined With Incremental PCA for Robust Visual Tracking.

In this paper, we propose a robust state-based structured support vector machine (SVM) tracking algorithm combined with incremental principal component analysis (PCA). Different from the current structured SVM for tracking, our method directly learns and predicts the object's states and not the 2-D translation transformation during tracking. We define the object's virtual state to combine the state-based structured SVM and incremental PCA.

The methyl-CpG-binding protein MBD7 facilitates active DNA demethylation to limit DNA hyper-methylation and transcriptional gene silencing.

DNA methylation is a conserved epigenetic mark that plays important roles in plant and vertebrate development, genome stability, and gene regulation. Canonical Methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins are important interpreters of DNA methylation that recognize methylated CG sites and recruit chromatin remodelers, histone deacetylases, and histone methyltransferases to repress transcription. Here, we show that Arabidopsis MBD7 and Increased DNA Methylation 3 (IDM3) are anti-silencing factors that prevent gene repression and DNA hypermethylation.

The role of Sox6 in zebrafish muscle fiber type specification.

Background: The transcription factor Sox6 has been implicated in regulating muscle fiber type-specific gene expression in mammals. In zebrafish, loss of function of the transcription factor Prdm1a results in a slow to fast-twitch fiber type transformation presaged by ectopic expression of sox6 in slow-twitch progenitors. Morpholino-mediated Sox6 knockdown can suppress this transformation but causes ectopic expression of only one of three slow-twitch specific genes assayed.

Ferrocenylethynyl-terminated azobenzenes: synthesis, electrochemical, and photoisomerization studies.

Ferrocenylethynyl-terminated derivatives 8-12 have been synthesized and characterized by electrochemistry and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The electrochemical and photophysical studies indicate that the electronic communication in ferrocenylethynyl-substituted derivatives is strongly influenced by the substituted position of the ferrocenylethynyl moiety. In situ electrochemical oxidation or chemical oxidation caused a characteristically weak ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) band to appear at 700-1000 nm.

MiR-200b expression in breast cancer: a prognostic marker and act on cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting Sp1.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as important post-transcriptional regulators involved in various biological and pathological processes of cells. In the present study, we investigated the roles and mechanisms of miR-200b in human breast cancer (BC). MiR-200b expression was carried out by qRT-PCR in human BC cell lines and clinical samples and the prognostic potential of miR-200b expression was further evaluated.

HOS1 regulates Argonaute1 by promoting transcription of the microRNA gene MIR168b in Arabidopsis.

Proper accumulation and function of miRNAs is essential for plant growth and development. While core components of the miRNA biogenesis pathway and miRNA-induced silencing complex have been well characterized, cellular regulators of miRNAs remain to be fully explored. Here we report that High Expression Of Osmotically Responsive Genes1 (HOS1) is a regulator of an important miRNA, mi168a/b, that targets the Argonaute1 (AGO1) gene in Arabidopsis.

Specific but interdependent functions for Arabidopsis AGO4 and AGO6 in RNA-directed DNA methylation.

Argonaute (AGO) family proteins are conserved key components of small RNA-induced silencing pathways. In the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway in Arabidopsis, AGO6 is generally considered to be redundant with AGO4. In this report, our comprehensive, genomewide analyses of AGO4- and AGO6-dependent DNA methylation revealed that redundancy is unexpectedly negligible in the genetic interactions between AGO4 and AGO6.

Topical cream delivers NB-UVB from sunlight for the treatment of vitiligo.

Ultraviolet-B (UVB) phototherapy for the treatment of vitiligo is an effective first-line choice. However, the cost of multiple doctor visits and the lengthy treatment regimen has resulted in low compliance, limiting access to this safe and effective mode of treatment. Topical Photocil represents an innovative solution to this problem.

Synchronization transition in networked chaotic oscillators: the viewpoint from partial synchronization.

Synchronization transition in networks of nonlocally coupled chaotic oscillators is investigated. It is found that in reaching the state of global synchronization the networks can stay in various states of partial synchronization. The stability of the partial synchronization states is analyzed by the method of eigenvalue analysis, in which the important roles of the network topological symmetry on synchronization transition are identified.

F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography findings of gastric lymphoma: Comparisons with gastric cancer.

The role of F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) in numerous malignant tumors, including gastric lymphoma, is well-established. However, there have been few studies with regard to the F-FDG PET/CT features of gastric lymphoma. The aim of the present study was to characterize the F-FDG PET/CT features of gastric lymphoma, which were compared with those of gastric cancer.

Management of a patient with thermal burns and para-chloronitrobenzene poisoning.

Para-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB), a hazardous and toxic substance, is widely used as an intermediary in chemical industries. p-CNB can cause methaemoglobinaemia due to electron-withdrawing properties of the nitro and chlorine groups. We present a case of a 23-year-old man suffering from thermal burns and p-CNB poisoning.

Compressive strength, chloride permeability, and freeze-thaw resistance of MWNT concretes under different chemical treatments.

This study investigated compressive strength, chloride penetration, and freeze-thaw resistance of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) concrete. More than 100 cylindrical specimens were used to assess test variables during sensitivity observations, including water-cement ratios (0.75, 0.

Control for a synchronization-desynchronization switch.

How to freely enhance or suppress synchronization of networked dynamical systems is of great importance in many disciplines. A unified precise control method for a synchronization-desynchronization switch, called the pull-push control method, is suggested. Namely, synchronization can be achieved when the original systems are desynchronous by pulling (or protecting) one node or a certain subset of nodes, whereas desynchronization can be accomplished when the systems are already synchronous by pushing (or kicking) one node or a certain subset of nodes.

Clinical features of patients of different ages with postoperative multi-space maxillofacial infection.

To investigate the clinical features of patients of different ages with multi-space infection after maxillofacial surgery. Three hundred and seven patients with infections in multiple spaces were enrolled in the study. They were classified into the senior (n = 149) and the younger group (n = 158).

Basic investigation into the present burn care system in China: burn units, doctors, nurses, beds and special treatment equipment.

Objective: The aim of the study was to survey the current burn units in China to understand the burn care system in the country and supply basic data for the National Burn Repository of China (NBRC) and further research.

Method: A questionnaire was developed and sent to burn unit directors in China via e-mail, which was followed up with reminder text messages to obtain information for the study.

Results: Of the 405 hospitals from the 31 provinces in mainland China that responded to the questionnaire, 63.

Network approach to the pinning control of drift-wave turbulence.

Network of coupled oscillators has long been employed as an important approach to explore the complicated dynamics in spatially extended systems. Here we show how this approach can be used to the analysis of turbulence pinning control. Specifically, by use of a model of two-dimensional drift-wave plasma turbulence, we investigate how the performance of the turbulence control is influenced by the spatial distribution of the pinning strength.