Notoginsenoside Rb1 inhibits activation of ERK and p38 MAPK pathways induced by hypoxia and hypercapnia.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of notoginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1) on the ERK and p38 MAPK pathways in primary cultured pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) exposed to hypoxia and hypercapnia, in order to elucidate the mechanism underlying the effect of Rb1 on hypoxia and hypercapnia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction (HHPV). PASMCs were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats. The cells were divided into five groups: Normal (N), hypoxia and hypercapnia (H), Rb, Rb and Rb groups.

Improving efficiency and color purity of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) through addition of a high boiling-point solvent of 1-chloronaphthalene.

In this work, the β-phase of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO) was used as a probe to study the effects of the addition of a high boiling-point solvent of 1-chloronaphthalene on the nanostructures and electroluminescence of PFO films. Both absorption and photoluminescence spectra showed that the content of the β-phase in PFO film was obviously enhanced as a result of the addition of a small amount of 1-chloronaphthalene into the processing solvent of p-xylenes. Apparently rougher morphology associated with the effectively enhanced ordering of polymer chains across the entire film was observed for films processed from p-xylene solutions consisting of a certain amount of 1-chloronaphthalene, as revealed by atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction measurements.

In vitro effect of sodium arsenite on Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by the metacestodes of Echinococcus granulosus is an important cosmopolitan zoonosis. Surgery is the main treatment option for CE. Meanwhile, chemotherapy is used as an significant adjunct to surgery.

Protoscolicidal effects of chenodeoxycholic acid on protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus.

Dissemination of protoscoleces-rich fluid during surgical operation for cystic echinococcosis is a major cause of its recurrence. Instillation of a scolicidal agent into hydatid cysts to reduce the risk of spillage of viable protoscoleces is an integral part of the surgical technique employed by many surgeons. In this study, the protoscolicidal effect of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) was investigated.

[Dexmedetomidine prevents inflammatory responses in injured rat lung tissues induced by ischemia/reperfusion through inhibition of TLR4 expression].

Objective: To investigate the effect of Dexmedetomidine (Dex) on Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) expression in lung during lung ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) in rats and its possible protecting mechanisms.

Methods: In vivo I/R model in left lung of SD rats was estab-lished. Fifty adult healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups (=10):control group (Sham group), I/R group, Dex group, atipamezole group (Atip group) and Dex+Atip group.

Complete mitochondrial genome of stripped eel catfish ().

The complete mitochondrial genome of stripped eel catfish, , is sequenced in this study. The mitochondrial genome sequence is 16 480 bp in length, with the base composition of 24.7% A, 31.

Design considerations and challenges for mechanical stretch bioreactors in tissue engineering.

With the increase in average life expectancy and growing aging population, lack of functional grafts for replacement surgeries has become a severe problem. Engineered tissues are a promising alternative to this problem because they can mimic the physiological function of the native tissues and be cultured on demand. Cyclic stretch is important for developing many engineered tissues such as hearts, heart valves, muscles, and bones.

Interannual variability of average minimum temperatures derived from tree rings in the mid-Qinling Mountains, China, for the past 138 years.

In this study, spruce tree rings from the southern slope of mid-Qinling Mountains were adopted to investigate the characteristics of average minimum temperatures during the past 138 years. Analysis showed that the interannual variability in radial growth of trees was positively correlated with the interannual variability of average minimum temperatures from previous December to current September (VTM ) in the study area during 1955-2010 AD. Based on the correlation analysis, the VTM were reconstructed for 1876-2013 AD with an explained variance of 42.

White Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Exciplex Electroluminescence from Polymer Blends and a Single Polymer.

In this Article, we designed and synthesized a series of polyfluorene derivatives, which consist of the electron-rich 4,4'-(9-alkyl-carbazole-3,6-diyl)bis(N,N-diphenylaniline) (TPA-Cz) in the side chain and the electron-deficient dibenzothiophene-5,5-dioxide (SO) unit in the main chain. The resulting copolymer PF-T25 that did not comprise the SO unit exhibited blue light-emission with the Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.16, 0.

[Effect of dexmedetomidine on expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related Caspase-12 in lung ischemia/reperfusion injury mice].

Objective: To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related cysteinyl aspirate specific proteinase-12 (Caspase-12) in lung ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury mice.

Methods: Forty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:sham operation group (sham group),ischemia/reperfusion injury group (I/R group), normal salinecontrol group (NS group), ischemia/reperfusion + dexmedetomidine group (DEX group). Dexmedetomidine was infused intraperitoneally into the mice to stablish situ left pulmonary I/R injury mouse model.

Draft genome of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis.

Background: The Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, is one of the most studied and economically important crustaceans in China. Its transition from a swimming to a crawling method of movement during early development, anadromous migration during growth, and catadromous migration during breeding have been attractive features for research. However, knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms that regulate these processes is still very limited.

Airborne fine particulate matter induces an upregulation of endothelin receptors on rat bronchi.

Airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a risk factor for respiratory diseases. However, little is known about the effects of PM2.

Exploring the role of the sampler housing in limiting uptake of semivolatile organic compounds in passive air samplers.

Passive air samplers (PASs) are simple, versatile devices that are increasingly used to determine the concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in the atmosphere. Using PAS and interpreting PAS-derived data with confidence requires a detailed understanding of the factors that control the uptake kinetics. A number of experiments were aimed at clarifying the role that the housing has in limiting the uptake of SVOCs in a PAS.

Paradox of using intensive lowering of blood glucose in diabetics and strategies to overcome it and decrease cardiovascular risks.

Hyperglycemia significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in diabetics. However, it has been shown by a series of large scale international studies that intensive lowering of blood glucose levels not only has very limited benefits against cardiovascular problems in patients, but may even be harmful to patients at a high risk for CVD and/or poor long-term control of blood glucose levels. Therefore, Western medicine is faced with a paradox.

The Density of States and the Transport Effective Mass in a Highly Oriented Semiconducting Polymer: Electronic Delocalization in 1D.

The determination of the band structure along k parallel to the chain direction demonstrates significant electronic delocalization. The small effective mass [m* = 0.106mo ] is consistent with the high measured mobility.

OCT4 Coordinates with WNT Signaling to Pre-pattern Chromatin at the SOX17 Locus during Human ES Cell Differentiation into Definitive Endoderm.

We demonstrate that the pluripotency gene OCT4 has a role in regulating differentiation via Wnt signaling. OCT4 expression levels in human embryonic stem cells increases transiently during the first 24 hr of in vitro differentiation, with OCT4 occupancy increasing at endoderm regulators such as SOX17 and FOXA2. This increased occupancy correlates with loss of the PRC2 complex and the inhibitory histone mark H3K27me3.

Common variants of HTR1A and SLC6A4 confer the increasing risk of Schizophrenia susceptibility: A population-based association and epistasis analysis.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder strongly influenced by genetic variants, some of which are associated with mood disorders. The neurotransmitter 5-hydoxytryptamine (5-HT) and its related biochemical factors have been shown to play a significant role in maintaining mood balance. Recent studies evaluating the association between SZ and genetic polymorphisms in a serotonin transporter (encoded by SLC6A4) and serotonin receptor 1A (encoded by HTR1A) show conflicting results.

Conductance stability in chaotic and integrable quantum dots with random impurities.

For a quantum dot system of fixed geometry, in the presence of random impurities the average conductance over an appropriate range of the Fermi energy decreases as the impurity strength is increased. Can the nature of the corresponding classical dynamics in the dot region affect the rate of decrease? Utilizing graphene quantum dots with two semi-infinite, single-mode leads as a prototypical model, we address the device stability issue by investigating the combined effects of classical dynamics and impurities on the average conductance over the energy range of the first transverse mode. We find that, for chaotic dot systems, the rate of decrease in the average conductance with the impurity strength is in general characteristically smaller than that for integrable dots.

Vaccination against IL-33 Inhibits Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Inflammation in a House Dust Mite Model of Asthma.

In several clinical and experimental studies IL-33 and its receptor have been found to play important roles in the development of asthma and allergic airway inflammation. We evaluated the effects of vaccination against IL-33 in a mouse model of airway inflammation induced by house dust mite (HDM) allergen. Balb/c mice received the IL-33 vaccine subcutaneously, followed by intranasal administration of HDM for up to six weeks.

A Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index Reconstruction in the Taihe Mountains Using Tree-Ring Widths for the Last 283 Years.

Tree-ring samples from Chinese Pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) that were collected in the Taihe Mountains on the western Loess Plateau, China, were used to analyze the effects of climate and drought on radial growth and to reconstruct the mean April-June Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) during the period 1730-2012 AD. Precipitation positively affected tree growth primarily during wet seasons, while temperature negatively affected tree growth during dry seasons.

Calculating Equilibrium Phase Distribution during the Formation of Secondary Organic Aerosol Using COSMOtherm.

Challenges in the parametrization of compound distribution between the gas and particle phase contribute significantly to the uncertainty in the prediction of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and are rooted in the complexity and variability of atmospheric condensed matter, which includes water, salts, and a multitude of organic oxidation products, often in two separated phases. Here, we explore the use of the commercial quantum-chemistry-based software COSMOtherm to predict equilibrium partitioning and Setchenow coefficients of a suite of oxidation products of α-pinene ozonolysis in an aerosol that is assumed to separate into an organic-enriched phase and an electrolyte-enriched aqueous phase. The predicted coefficients are used to estimate the phase distribution of the organic compounds, water and ammonium sulfate, the resulting phase composition, and the SOA yield.

Three-Dimensional NiMoO4 Nanosheets Supported on a Carbon Fibers@Pre-Treated Ni Foam (CF@PNF) Substrate as Advanced Electrodes for Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

Herein, we report a nanoarchitectured nickel molybdate/carbon fibers@pre-treated Ni foam (NiMoO4 /CF@PNF) electrode for supercapacitors. The synthesis of NiMoO4 /CF@PNF mainly consists of a direct chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of dense carbon fibers (CFs) onto pre-treated Ni foam (PNF) as the substrate, followed by in situ growth of NiMoO4 nanosheets (NSs) on the CF@PNF substrate by means of a hydrothermal process. The NiMoO4 /CF@PNF electrode exhibits a high areal capacitance (5.

The BARD1 BRCT domain contributes to p53 binding, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial localization, and apoptotic function.

BARD1 is a breast cancer tumor suppressor with multiple domains and functions. BARD1 comprises a tandem BRCT domain at the C-terminus, and this sequence has been reported to target BARD1 to distinct subcellular locations such as nuclear DNA breakage sites and the centrosome through binding to regulatory proteins such as HP1 and OLA1, respectively. We now identify the BRCT domain as a binding site for p53.

[Dynamic changes of IL-1β in rat myocardium during hypoxia/ reoxygenation transition].

Objective: To investigate the expression profile of interleuki-1β (IL-1β) in rat myocardium at different time points during hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R)transition.

Methods: The isolated Langendorff perfused rat heart model was established.Forty SD rats were randomly divided into sham group (A group) and hypoxia/reoxygenation group (H/R group).

Complete mitochondrial genome of a satyrid butterfly, Lethe albolineata (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of Lethe albolineata is a circular molecule of 15,248 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (LrRNA and SrRNA), and a non-coding AT-rich region. All PCGs use the standard ATN start codon, except for COI, which begins with CGA. Eight PCGs employ complete stop codon (TAA), whereas the others use a single T or TA acting as an incomplete stop codon.