[Electroacupuncture improves cognitive function by modulating hippocampal lactate-mediated HIF-1α signaling pathway and inhibiting inflammation response in vascular dementia rats].

Objectives: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Sishencong"(EX-HN1) and "Fengchi"(GB20) on lactate (Lac) content, expression of proline hydroxylase 2 (PHD2), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/nuclear transcription factor- κB (NF- κB)/NOD-like receptor thermoprotein structural domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway, and inflammatory factors in hippocampal tissue of vascular dementia (VD) rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of VD.

Methods: Male SD rats screened by Morris water maze tests were randomly divided into blank control, sham-operation, VD model and EA groups (12 rats in each group). The VD model was replicated using the 4-vessel occlusion (VO) method.

Link between mutations in and genes and chronic intestinal ulcers: A case report and review of literature.

Background: Genetic factors of chronic intestinal ulcers are increasingly garnering attention. We present a case of chronic intestinal ulcers and bleeding associated with mutations of the activin A receptor type II-like 1 () and phospholipase A2 group IVA () genes and review the available relevant literature.

Case Summary: A 20-year-old man was admitted to our center with a 6-year history of recurrent abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dark stools.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure induced by antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C: A case report.

Background: There have been no reports of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) during treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).

Case Summary: We report a 50-year-old male patient with CHC. The patient sought medical attention from the Department of Infectious Diseases at our hospital due to severe yellowing of the skin and sclera, which developed 3 mo previously and attended two consecutive hospitals without finding the cause of liver damage.

Prediction of post-transplant graft survival by different definitions of early allograft dysfunction.

Background: The efficacy of early allograft dysfunction (EAD) definitions in predicting post-transplant graft survival in a Chinese population is still unclear.

Methods: A total of 607 orthotopic liver transplants (OLT) have been included in the current study. Model accuracy was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Efficacy and Safety of Premixed Human Insulin Combined with Sulfonylureas in Type 2 Diabetic Patients Previously Poorly Controlled with Insulin.

Introduction: Some type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients treated with premixed insulin alone or in combination with oral glucose-lowering agents (without sulfonylureas) cannot reach the required glucose targets. Clinical studies have demonstrated that diabetes patients treated with sulfonylureas achieve stable glycemic control, with a low hypoglycemic rate. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of therapy with the combination of premixed insulin and sulfonylureas.

Profiling the origin, dynamics, and function of traction force in B cell activation.

B lymphocytes use B cell receptors (BCRs) to recognize membrane-bound antigens to further initiate cell spreading and contraction responses during B cell activation. We combined traction force microscopy and live-cell imaging to profile the origin, dynamics, and function of traction force generation in these responses. We showed that B cell activation required the generation of 10 to 20 nN of traction force when encountering antigens presented by substrates with stiffness values from 0.

[Submucosal injection of pharyngeal ostium of Eustachian tube for diagnosis of patulous Eustachian tube].

To evaluate the clinical value of submucosal injection of pharyngeal ostium of Eustachian tube in diagnosing patulous Eustachian tube(PET).Twenty-six patients(32 sides),whose the symptoms were consistent with PET,were enrolled from March 2014 to May 2016.The symptoms and signs of all patients were evaluated after submucosal injection of saline into the Eustachian tube.

AGE/RAGE-Induced EMP Release via the NOX-Derived ROS Pathway.

Objective: Diabetes is associated with accelerated formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that are extensively found in circulating endothelial microparticles (EMPs). This study aimed to investigate whether AGEs have a direct effect on EMP formation and the possible underlying mechanism.

Methods: In vitro, cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated with AGEs (200 and 400 g/ml) for 24 hours with or without pretreatment with anti-RAGE antibody, NOX inhibitor, or ROS scavenger.

[Histological structure of the trabecular meshwork in the eyeball: challenging the traditional concept and preliminary findings in rabbits, rats and mice].

Objective: To verify that the trabecular meshwork (TM) in the wall of the eyeball consists of smooth muscle fibers instead of collagen fibers or endothelial cells.

Methods: Eighteen fresh eyeballs from 3 rabbits, 3 SD rats and 3 mice were sectioned along the sagittal plane and sliced after paraffin embedding for HE staining, VG staining, Masson staining, α-SMA immunohistochemistry or CD31 immunohistochemistry. These slices were observed under microscope and the structure of the TM was compared with those of scleral collagen fibers, ciliary muscles and endothelial cells.

Influences of PON1 on airway inflammation and remodeling in bronchial asthma.

This study aims to explore the influences of Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) involved in airway inflammation and remodeling in asthma. Mice were divided into control, asthma, asthma + PON1 and asthma + NC groups, and asthma models were established via aerosol inhalation of ovalbumin (OVA). HE, Masson, and PAS stains were used to observe airway inflammation and remodeling, Giemsa staining to assess inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), qRT-PCR and Western blot to detect PON1 expression, lipid peroxidation and glutathione assays to quantify malondialdehyde (MDA) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GSH) levels, ELISA to determine inflammatory cytokines and immunoglobulin, and colorimetry to detect PON1 activities.

The Membrane-Proximal Region of C-C Chemokine Receptor Type 5 Participates in the Infection of HIV-1.

The initial infection and transmission of HIV-1 requires C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5). Here, we report that the membrane-proximal region (MPR, aa 22-38) of CCR5 participates in the infection of HIV-1. First, MPR-specific antibodies elicited in mice dose-dependently inhibited the infection of CCR5-tropic HIV-1.

Impact of multi-vessel therapy to the risk of periprocedural myocardial injury after elective coronary intervention: exploratory study.

Backgrounds: Periprocedural myocardial injury (PMI) after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) significantly influences the prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, it was unclear whether the occurrence of PMI was associated with a series of controllable factors, such as PCI strategy or severity of CAD.

Methods: A total of 544 consecutive stable CAD patients underwent elective PCI were enrolled.

Status quo of management of the human tissue banks in Taiwan.

As the technologies associated with transplantation and biological tissue engineering continue to advance, human cells and tissues form an integral part to the practice of regenerative medicine. The patient's use of tissues entails the risk of introducing, transmitting and spreading communicable diseases. To prevent such risk and to ensure that the human organs, tissues and cells remain intact and functional after being handled and processed, the transplanted tissues must be subject to good management standards through all stages of collection, screening, processing, storage and distribution as the safety of the users is of the utmost importance.

Identifying possible sites for antibody neutralization escape: Implications for unique functional properties of the C-terminal tail of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp41.

A previous amino acid sequence analyses from our laboratory reported nine potential sites in gp41 glycoprotein of HIV-1 that may contribute to virus escape from antibody neutralization. Besides four sites found outside the membrane of HIV-1 virus, five located in the C-terminal tail of gp41 specifically in the lentivirus lytic peptides motifs (LLPs). To further study the bioinformatical results, the virus infectivity assay and the standard neutralization assay were conducted on conservatively mutated virus.

Rapid predictors for the occurrence of reduced left ventricular ejection fraction between LAD and non-LAD related ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Backgrounds: Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which implies the occurrence of cardiac dysfunction, impacts cardiac prognosis, even after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study was designed to clarify the difference of clinical and angiographic predictors for reduced LVEF in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with left anterior descending artery (LAD) or non-LAD vessel as culprit artery.

Methods: This was a retrospective study to review a total of 553 patients of STEMI underwent primary PCI in our hospital.

Flip channel: A microfluidic device for uniform-sized embryoid body formation and differentiation.

This paper reports a two-layered polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic device-Flip channel, capable of forming uniform-sized embryoid bodies (EBs) and performing stem cell differentiation within the same device after flipping the microfluidic channel. The size of EBs can be well controlled by designing the device geometries, and EBs with multiple sizes can be formed within a single device to study EB size-dependent stem cell differentiation. During operation of the device, cells are positioned in the designed positions.

[Light Absorption Characteristics of FeS2-Fe1-xS Heterostructures Synthesized under Hydrothermal Conditions].

Fe-S series, especially FeS2 and Fe1-x S is the main component of crustal rocks as important metal sulphides. Pyrite (FeS2) shows a promising vision in solar cell materials for its high absorption coefficient and suitable band gap. Predecessors have done some researches on the photovoltaic properties of Fe-S series under different conditions.

Evidence of ATP assay as an appropriate alternative of MTT assay for cytotoxicity of secondary effluents from WWTPs.

Biological tests are effective and comprehensive methods to assess toxicity of environmental pollutants to ensure the safety of reclaimed water. In this study, the canonical MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay was performed to evaluate the cytotoxicity of dissolved organic matters (DOMs) of secondary effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). It was surprising that most concentrated DOMs treated HepG2 cells yielded much higher signal compared with vehicle control regardless of difference of treatment technologies and seasons.

P20A inhibits HIV-1 fusion through its electrostatic interaction with the distal region of the gp41 fusion core.

We previously identified an HIV-1 fusion inhibitor P20A targeting HIV-1 gp41 6-HB fusion core. Using alanine scanning mutagenesis, we investigated the effect of 6-HB surface residue mutations on the binding affinity between P20A and 6-HB. Substitution of positively or negatively charged residues in the distal region of 6-HB with alanines resulted in significant decrease or increase of its binding affinity to P20A, respectively.

The synaptic recruitment of lipid rafts is dependent on CD19-PI3K module and cytoskeleton remodeling molecules.

Sphingolipid- and cholesterol-rich lipid raft microdomains are important in the initiation of BCR signaling. Although it is known that lipid rafts promote the coclustering of BCR and Lyn kinase microclusters within the B cell IS, the molecular mechanism of the recruitment of lipid rafts into the B cell IS is not understood completely. Here, we report that the synaptic recruitment of lipid rafts is dependent on the cytoskeleton-remodeling proteins, RhoA and Vav.

Substrate stiffness regulates B-cell activation, proliferation, class switch, and T-cell-independent antibody responses in vivo.

B cells use B-cell receptors (BCRs) to sense antigens that are usually presented on substrates with different stiffness. However, it is not known how substrate stiffness affects B-cell proliferation, class switch, and in vivo antibody responses. We addressed these questions using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates with different stiffness (20 or 1100 kPa).