Quercetin protects cardiomyocytes against doxorubicin-induced toxicity by suppressing oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function via 14-3-3γ.

Cardiotoxicity limits the clinical applications of doxorubicin (Dox), which mechanism might be excess generation of intracellular ROS. Quercetin (Que) is a flavonoid that possesses anti-oxidative activities, exerts myocardial protection. We hypothesized that the cardioprotection against Dox injury of Que involved 14-3-3γ, and mitochondria.

Mutation analysis of ZP1, ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4 genes in 152 Han Chinese samples with ovarian endometriosis.

Endometriosis is characterized by the ectopic implant of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity and found in ˜35-50% of subfertile women. Previous studies have found that endometriosis had frequent defects in zona pellucida (ZP), and mutations in ZP genes could lead to ZP defects, raising the possibility that mutations in ZP genes might exist in endometriosis. We analyzed a total of 152 Han Chinese samples with ovarian endometriosis for the presence of mutations in the ZP1, ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4 genes.

Efficacy Comparison of Preprandial and Postprandial Prandilin 25 Administration in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical efficacy of preprandial and postprandial Prandilin 25 (premixed insulin lispro 25) administration in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system.

Methods: This was a single-center, self-controlled comparative clinical trial. Newly diagnosed T2DM patients with hemoglobin A1c > 8.

Optimal Design Based on Closed-Loop Fusion for Velocity Bandwidth Expansion of Optical Target Tracking System.

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyro is one of the extensively used inertia sensors in the field of optical target tracking (OTT). However, velocity closed-loop bandwidth of the OTT system is limited due to the resonance and measurement range issues of MEMS gyro. In this paper, the generalized sensor fusion framework, named the closed-loop fusion (CLF), is analyzed, and the optimal design principle of filter is proposed in detail in order to improve measurement of the bandwidth of MEMS gyro by integrating information of MEMS accelerometers.

Effects of seed traits and seed production on the seed predation and dispersal behavior of rodents.

To deeply understand the foraging behavioral strategies of the rodents in response to seeds of different sizes and tannin contents under different seed densities and its relationship with plant regeneration, field experiments were conducted to explore the effects of artificial seeds of different sizes (large and small) and tannin (T) contents (0%T, 2%T, 8%T, and 15%T) on seed predation and dispersal behavior of rodents during simulated non-mast and mast seeding year in Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation of Liupan Mountains in Ningxia. The results showed that seeds were consumed rapidly by rodents in non-mast seeding year but relatively slow in mast seeding year. No significant difference of in situ predation rate (ISPR) was observed between non-mast and mast seeding year.

Variations of organic carbon storage in vegetation-soil systems during vegetation degradation in the Gahai wetland, China.

Qinghai-Tibet Plateau wetland, an important component of terrestrial ecosystem, plays an essential role in global carbon cycling. To understand the variation of organic carbon storage in vegetation-soil system during vegetation degradation in the Gahai wetland we examined aboveground litter, root biomass and soil organic carbon content in different degradation stages (CK: no degradation, SD: light degradation, MD: moderate degradation, HD: heavy degradation). The results showed that except for HD, carbon storage of aboveground biomass was 99.

On the contribution of internal variability and external forcing factors to the Cooling trend over the Humid Subtropical Indo-Gangetic Plain in India.

The summer surface air temperature (SAT) in the Humid Subtropical Climate Zone in India, exhibits a significant cooling trend (~-3 °C/40 yrs.) in CRU observational data during 1961-2000. Here we investigate the contribution of internal and external factors, which are driving this cooling trend.

Decreased Spontaneous Brain Activity and Functional Connectivity in Type 1 Diabetic Patients Without Microvascular Complications.

Background/aims: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has been proven to be associated with an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether disrupted spontaneous activity and functional connectivity (FC) exist in T1DM patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and to detect the relationships of these parameters with cognitive impairment.

Methods: T1DM patients (n=35) were compared with age-, sex-, and education level-matched healthy controls (n=50) through rs-fMRI.

A novel approach for rapid high-throughput selection of recombinant functional rat monoclonal antibodies.

Background: Most monoclonal antibodies against mouse antigens have been derived from rat spleen-mouse myeloma fusions, which are valuable tools for purposes ranging from general laboratory reagents to therapeutic drugs, and yet selecting and expressing them remains a time-consuming and inefficient process. Here, we report a novel approach for the rapid high-throughput selection and expression of recombinant functional rat monoclonal antibodies with different isotypes.

Results: We have developed a robust system for generating rat monoclonal antibodies through several processes involving simultaneously immunizing rats with three different antigens expressing in a mixed cell pools, preparing hybridoma cell pools, in vitro screening and subsequent cloning of the rearranged light and heavy chains into a single expression plasmid using a highly efficient assembly method, which can decrease the time and effort required by multiple immunizations and fusions, traditional clonal selection and expression methods.

Silencing of rhomboid domain containing 1 to inhibit the metastasis of human breast cancer cells .

Objectives: A growing body of evidence indicates that rhomboid domain containing 1 (RHBDD1) plays an important role in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, including tumorigenesis. We aimed to determine the function of RHBDD1 in breast cancer cells.

Materials And Methods: In this study, we used the Oncomine™ database to determine the expression patterns of RHBDD1 in normal and breast cancer tissues.

Paper Microfluidics for Cell Analysis.

Paper microfluidics has attracted much attention since its first introduction around one decade ago due to the merits such as low cost, ease of fabrication and operation, portability, and facile integration with other devices. The dominant application for paper microfluidics still lies in point-of-care testing (POCT), which holds great promise to provide diagnostic tools to meet the ASSURED criteria. With micro/nanostructures inside, paper substrates provide a natural 3D scaffold to mimic native cellular microenvironments and create excellent biointerfaces for cell analysis applications, such as long-term 3D cell culture, cell capture/phenotyping, and cell-related biochemical analysis (small molecules, protein DNA, etc.

Measurement of Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Clinical Serum Samples Using a Centrifugal Microfluidic Device.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a broad-spectrum tumor marker used in clinical applications. The primarily clinical method for measuring CEA is based on chemiluminescence in serum during enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in 96-well plates. However, this multi-step process requires large and expensive instruments, and takes a long time.

[Combined effects of fluoxetine and triclosan on Pseudorasbora parva.].

We examined the effects of binary mixture of two different pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) on aquatic organisms. The topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva, native to northeast China, was used to study the combined effects of fluoxetine (FLX) and triclosan (TCS) on its different organs. After acute (4 h) and chronic (42 d) treatments, the combined effects of FLX/TCS on phase I and phase II detoxification enzymes, nervous system, digestive system and antioxidant system were evaluated.

Biochanin A Induces S Phase Arrest and Apoptosis in Lung Cancer Cells.

Lung cancer is among the most common malignancies with a poor 5-year survival rate reaching only 16%. Thus, new effective treatment modalities and drugs are urgently needed for the treatment of this malignancy. In this study, we conducted the first investigation of the effects of Biochanin A on lung cancer and revealed the mechanisms underlying its potential anticancer effects.

A Microfluidic Device for Culturing an Encapsulated Ovarian Follicle.

Microfluidic chips have been proved effective in mimicking different organs of human body. Simulating human ovarian follicles by microfluidic device will be useful in exploring the mechanism of folliculogenesis and related diseases. In this paper, a microfluidic chip was designed to culture a single human pre-antral follicle.

Molecular Characterization of WRKY Transcription Factors That Act as Negative Regulators of O-Methylated Catechin Biosynthesis in Tea Plants ( Camellia sinensis L.).

Tea O-methylated catechins, especially (-)-epigallocatechin 3- O-(3- O-methyl)gallate (EGCG3″Me), have been attracting much attention as a result of their positive health effects. The transcription regulators of O-methylated catechin biosynthesis remain elusive. In this study, the expression pattern of genes related to O-methylated catechin biosynthesis, including CsLAR, CsANS, CsDFR, CsANR, and CCoAOMT, in three tea cultivars with different contents of EGCG3″Me was investigated.

Insulin Injection Technique is Associated with Glycemic Variability in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Introduction: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) receiving premixed insulin often fail to achieve optimal glycemic control. The insulin injection technique (IT) itself may be one of the factors affecting glycemic variability (GV). The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between GV and IT in patients with T2D using premixed insulin.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance evidence of myocardial fibrosis and its clinical significance in adolescent and adult patients with Ebstein's anomaly.

Background: Myocardial fibrosis is a common pathophysiological process that is related to ventricular remodeling in congenital heart disease. However, the presence, characteristics, and clinical significance of myocardial fibrosis in Ebstein's anomaly have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to evaluate myocardial fibrosis using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and T1 mapping techniques, and to explore the significance of myocardial fibrosis in adolescent and adult patients with Ebstein's anomaly.

B(C F ) /Amine-Catalyzed C(sp)-H Silylation of Terminal Alkynes with Hydrosilanes: Experimental and Theoretical Studies.

Transition metal catalyzed C-H functionalization of organic compounds has proved to be a useful atom-efficient strategy in organic synthesis. In contrast, main-group-element-based catalytic processes for C-H functionalization have remained underexplored to date. Reported herein is the catalytic C(sp)-H silylation of a wide range of terminal alkynes with hydrosilanes by using a combination of B(C F ) and an organic base such as triethylenediamine (DABCO).

The Effect of Puerarin on Carotid Intima-media Thickness in Patients With Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: ARandomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Cardiovascular and diabetic complications are the main causes of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Puerarin has potential protective effects against subclinical atherosclerosis and insulin resistance, but the clinical evidence is still not sufficient to draw definitive conclusions. Therefore, we performed the clinical trial to assess the effect of puerarin on carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in RA.

Comparison of Efficacy and Economic Value of Prandilin 25 and Humalog Mix 25 in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes by a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System.

Introduction: To determine the clinical efficacy and economic value of insulin lispro 25-Prandilin 25 vs. insulin lispro 25-Humalog mix 25 in treatment of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS).

Methods: This was a single-center, randomized, case-crossover clinical trial.

Automated nasopharyngeal carcinoma segmentation in magnetic resonance images by combination of convolutional neural networks and graph cut.

Accurate and reliable segmentation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in medical images is an import task for clinical applications, including radiotherapy. However, NPC features large variations in lesion size and shape, as well as inhomogeneous intensities within the tumor and similar intensity to that of nearby tissues, making its segmentation a challenging task. The present study proposes a novel automated NPC segmentation method in magnetic resonance (MR) images by combining a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) model and a 3-dimensional (3D) graph cut-based method in a two-stage manner.

[Injection of botulinum-A toxin into bulbospongiosus muscle for primary premature ejaculation: A preliminary clinical study].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of injection of botulinum-A toxin into the bulbospongiosus muscle in the treatment of primary premature ejaculation (PPE).

Methods: According to the inclusion criteria, we randomly assigned 70 outpatients with PPE to a trial and a control group of equal number, the former injected with 100 U botulinum-A toxin at 10 U/ml and the latter with the same volume of saline into the bulbospongiosus muscle. Then, we obtained the intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT), scores of the Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP), Male Sexual Health Questionnaire-Ejaculatory Dysfunction (MSHQ-EjD), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups before and 4 weeks after treatment.

A Short Note on Estimating the Testlet Model With Different Estimators in Mplus.

Mplus is a powerful latent variable modeling software program that has become an increasingly popular choice for fitting complex item response theory models. In this short note, we demonstrate that the two-parameter logistic testlet model can be estimated as a constrained bifactor model in Mplus with three estimators encompassing limited- and full-information estimation methods.

Using the Stan Program for Bayesian Item Response Theory.

Stan is a new Bayesian statistical software program that implements the powerful and efficient Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm. To date there is not a source that systematically provides Stan code for various item response theory (IRT) models. This article provides Stan code for three representative IRT models, including the three-parameter logistic IRT model, the graded response model, and the nominal response model.