Plant-Derived Molecule 4-Methylumbelliferone Suppresses FcεRI-Mediated Mast Cell Activation and Allergic Inflammation.

Mast cells (MCs) are an important treatment target for high-affinity IgE Fc receptor (FcεRI)-mediated allergic diseases. The plant-derived molecule 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) has beneficial effects in animal models of inflammation and autoimmunity diseases. The aim of this study was to examine 4-MU effects on MC activation and probe the underlying molecular mechanism(s).

Chromosome-level assembly of genome and transcriptome reveals two novel allergens Der f 37 and Der f 39.

Accurate house dust mite (HDM) genome and transcriptome data would promote our understanding of HDM allergens. We sought to assemble chromosome-level genome and precise transcriptome profiling of and identify novel allergens. In this study, genetic material extracted from HDM bodies and eggs were sequenced.

FAK inhibitor PF-431396 suppresses IgE-mediated mast cell activation and allergic inflammation in mice.

Mast cells (MCs) initiate and maintain allergic inflammation. Upon being stimulated with immunoglobulin (Ig)E and antigen (Ag), MCs exhibit FcεRI (high-affinity IgE) receptor-mediated degranulation, cytokine secretion, and increased focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activity. The aims of this study were to examine mechanisms of FAK regulation in IgE-mediated MC activation and the effects of FAK inhibition on MC-mediated allergic responses.

Inhibition of c-Fos expression attenuates IgE-mediated mast cell activation and allergic inflammation by counteracting an inhibitory AP1/Egr1/IL-4 axis.

Background: Activator protein-1 (AP1), a c-Fos-JUN transcription factor complex, mediates many cytobiological processes. c-Fos has been implicated in immunoglobulin (Ig)E activation of mast cells (MCs) via high-affinity IgE Fc receptor (FcεRI) binding. This study examined c-Fos involvement in MC activation and tested the effects of the c-Fos/AP1 inhibitor T-5224 on MCs activation and allergic responses.

Ribonuclease T2 from Aspergillus fumigatus promotes T helper type 2 responses through M2 polarization of macrophages.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is an allergic immunological response to Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) exposure, which induces a strong T helper 2 (Th2) response via mechanisms that have yet to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the hypothesis that T2 ribonuclease from Af (Af RNASET2) induces M2‑type macrophage polarization to produce a T helper 2 (Th2) immune response. Recombinant Af RNASET2 (rAf RNASET2) was expressed and purified in a prokaryotic pET system and BALB/c mice were immunized with rAf RNASET2 for in vivo analyses.

The antipsychotic drug pimozide inhibits IgE-mediated mast cell degranulation and migration.

Background: Mast cells (MCs) mediate a key role in allergic diseases. Detailed studies of how the neuroleptic drug pimozide affects MC activity are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate pimozide inhibition of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated MC activation and MC-mediated allergic responses.

Identification of Der f 23 as a new major allergen of Dermatophagoides farinae.

House dust mites (HDM) are common allergen sources worldwide. At present, 32 of the 37 internationally recognized HDM allergen groups have been identified in Dermatophagoides farinae. The present study study describes the identification of the first known D.

SMG-1 inhibition by miR-192/-215 causes epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric carcinogenesis via activation of Wnt signaling.

SMG-1,a member of the phosphoinositide kinase-like kinase family, functioned as a tumor suppressor gene. However, the role of SMG-1 in GC remain uncharacterized. In this study, regulation of SMG-1 by miR-192 and-215, along with the biological effects of this modulation, were studied in GC.

Piezotronic effect tuned AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor.

The piezotronic effect utilizes strain-induced piezoelectric polarization charges to tune the carrier transportation across the interface/junction. We fabricated a high-performance AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), and the transport property was proven to be enhanced by applying an external stress for the first time. The enhanced source-drain current was also observed at any gate voltage and the maximum enhancement of the saturation current was up to 21% with 15 N applied stress (0.

Functional properties of peripheral CD8 T cells in patients with repeated implantation failure.

CD8 T cells are the main candidates to recognize and respond to fetal HLA-C at the fetal-maternal interface, but data on the amount of peripheral CD8 T cells and their functions during the window of implantation in recurrent implantation failure (RIF) patients are limited. Peripheral blood was obtained from 56 women with RIF and 16 fertile women in the mid-luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and the CD8 T cells were determined by FACS analysis. No statistical differences in the proportion of peripheral CD8 T cells were observed among the women with RIF and the control group.

Tuning carrier lifetime in InGaN/GaN LEDs via strain compensation for high-speed visible light communication.

In recent years, visible light communication (VLC) technology has attracted intensive attention due to its huge potential in superior processing ability and fast data transmission. The transmission rate relies on the modulation bandwidth, which is predominantly determined by the minority-carrier lifetime in III-group nitride semiconductors. In this paper, the carrier dynamic process under a stress field was studied for the first time, and the carrier recombination lifetime was calculated within the framework of quantum perturbation theory.

MiRNA-194 activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in gastric cancer by targeting the negative Wnt regulator, SUFU.

Emerging evidence has shown that miRNA-194 is aberrantly upregulated in gastric cancer (GC); however, the biological mechanisms underlying its involvement are largely unknown. Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been implicated in gastric tumorigenesis; we therefore hypothesized that miRNA-194 promotes gastric carcinogenesis by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. MiRNA-194 was found to be overexpressed in GC cell lines and 43 paired GC tissues.

Freestanding Flag-Type Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Harvesting High-Altitude Wind Energy from Arbitrary Directions.

Wind energy at a high altitude is far more stable and stronger than that near the ground, but it is out of reach of the wind turbine. Herein, we develop an innovative freestanding woven triboelectric nanogenerator flag (WTENG-flag) that can harvest high-altitude wind energy from arbitrary directions. The wind-driven fluttering of the woven unit leads to the current generation by a coupled effect of contact electrification and electrostatic induction.

Wearable Self-Charging Power Textile Based on Flexible Yarn Supercapacitors and Fabric Nanogenerators.

A novel and scalable self-charging power textile is realized by combining yarn supercapacitors and fabric triboelectric nanogenerators as energy-harvesting devices.

Integrated miRNA profiling and bioinformatics analyses reveal potential causative miRNAs in gastric adenocarcinoma.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths throughout China and worldwide. The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has provided a new opportunity for developing diagnostic biomarkers and effective therapeutic targets in GC. By performing microarray analyses of benign and malignant gastric epithelial cell lines (HFE145, NCI-N87, MKN28, RF1, KATO III and RF48), 16 significantly dysregulated miRNAs were found.

Piezo-Phototronic Effect Controlled Dual-Channel Visible light Communication (PVLC) Using InGaN/GaN Multiquantum Well Nanopillars.

Visible light communication (VLC) simultaneously provides illumination and communication via light emitting diodes (LEDs). Keeping a low bit error rate is essential to communication quality, and holding a stable brightness level is pivotal for illumination function. For the first time, a piezo-phototronic effect controlled visible light communication (PVLC) system based on InGaN/GaN multiquantum wells nanopillars is demonstrated, in which the information is coded by mechanical straining.

Piezotronic Effect in Polarity-Controlled GaN Nanowires.

Using high-quality and polarity-controlled GaN nanowires (NWs), we studied the piezotronic effect in crystal orientation defined wurtzite structures. By applying a normal compressive force on c-plane GaN NWs with an atomic force microscopy tip, the Schottky barrier between the Pt tip and GaN can be effectively tuned by the piezotronic effect. In contrast, the normal compressive force cannot change the electron transport characteristics in m-plane GaN NWs whose piezoelectric polarization axis is turned in the transverse direction.

Use of Ferritin Expression, Regulated by Neural Cell-Specific Promoters in Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, to Monitor Differentiation with Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Vitro.

The purpose of this study was to establish a method for monitoring the neural differentiation of stem cells using ferritin transgene expression, under the control of a neural-differentiation-inducible promoter, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) were transduced with a lentivirus containing the human ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) gene coupled to one of three neural cell-specific promoters: human synapsin 1 promoter (SYN1p, for neurons), human glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter (GFAPp, for astrocytes), and human myelin basic protein promoter (MBPp, for oligodendrocytes). Three groups of neural-differentiation-inducible ferritin-expressing (NDIFE) hADMSCs were established: SYN1p-FTH1, GFAPp-FTH1, and MBPp-FTH1.

Diagnosis and treatment of a patient with Kimura's disease associated with nephrotic syndrome and lymphadenopathy of the epitrochlear nodes.

Background: Kimura's disease (KD) is a slowly progressing rare, benign inflammatory disorder of the soft tissues. It typically presents as subcutaneous tumor-like nodules, located most frequently in the head and neck region. KD is often accompanied by increased peripheral eosinophilia and elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E.

Transplantation of induced pluripotent stem cells improves functional recovery in Huntington's disease rat model.

Unlabelled: The purpose of this study was to determine the functional recovery of the transplanted induced pluripotent stem cells in a rat model of Huntington's disease with use of 18F-FDG microPET/CT imaging.

Methods: In a quinolinic acid-induced rat model of striatal degeneration, induced pluripotent stem cells were transplanted into the ipsilateral lateral ventricle ten days after the quinolinic acid injection. The response to the treatment was evaluated by serial 18F-FDG PET/CT scans and Morris water maze test.

Temporal evolution in caveolin 1 methylation levels during human esophageal carcinogenesis.

Background: Esophageal cancer ranks eighth among frequent cancers worldwide. Our aim was to investigate whether and at which neoplastic stage promoter hypermethylation of CAV1 is involved in human esophageal carcinogenesis.

Methods: Using real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP), we examined CAV1 promoter hypermethylation in 260 human esophageal tissue specimens.

Aberrant methylation of the Ras-related associated with diabetes gene in human primary esophageal cancer.

Background/aim: Ras-related associated with diabetes (RRAD), a member of the Ras-related GTPase superfamily, is frequently methylated in several human cancers, though its methylation profile remains unclear in esophageal cancer.

Materials And Methods: We examined RRAD promoter hypermethylation using real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR in 229 primary human esophageal tissues of contrasting histological types.

Results: RRAD hypermethylation showed highly discriminative receiver-operator characteristic curve profiles, clearly distinguishing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) from esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) or normal esophagus (NE) (p<0.

MAL hypermethylation is a tissue-specific event that correlates with MAL mRNA expression in esophageal carcinoma.

MAL promoter hypermethylation was examined in 260 human esophageal specimens using real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP). MAL hypermethylation showed highly discriminative ROC curve profiles which clearly distinguished esophageal adenocarcinomas (EAC) from both esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) and normal esophagus (NE). Both MAL methylation frequency and normalized methylation value (NMV) were significantly higher in Barrett's esophagus (BE), dysplastic BE, and EAC than in ESCC or in NE.