Establishing a Biofilm Co-culture of and for Metabolite Extraction.

Filamentous fungi and bacteria form mixed-species biofilms in nature and diverse clinical contexts (Frey-Klett , 2011; Peleg , 2010). The interactions between fungi and bacteria, often mediated by secreted metabolites, have important ramifications for the biology of the interacting partners (Frey-Klett , 2011). This is particularly true for the bacterium () and the fungus () which often reside in the same niche such as lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.

Sex-specific increase in susceptibility to metabolic syndrome in adult offspring after prenatal ethanol exposure with post-weaning high-fat diet.

Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) is an established risk factor for intrauterine growth retardation. The present study was designed to determine whether PEE can increase the susceptibility of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic syndrome (MS) in adult offspring in a sex-specific manner, based on a generalized linear model analysis. Pregnant Wistar rats were administered ethanol (4 g/kg.

Efficacy and safety of supramaximal titrated inhibition of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Aims: The optimal dosing strategies for blocking the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) are poorly known. We sought to determine the long-term efficacy and safety of supramaximal titration of benazepril and valsartan in patients with IDCM.

Methods And Results: 480 patients with IDCM in New York Heart Association functional class II-IV and with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% were randomly assigned to extended-release metoprolol (mean 152 mg/day, range 23.

Size-Dependent Brittle-to-Ductile Transition in Silica Glass Nanofibers.

Silica (SiO2) glass, an essential material in human civilization, possesses excellent formability near its glass-transition temperature (Tg > 1100 °C). However, bulk SiO2 glass is very brittle at room temperature. Here we show a surprising brittle-to-ductile transition of SiO2 glass nanofibers at room temperature as its diameter reduces below 18 nm, accompanied by ultrahigh fracture strength.

Crystal structure of cyclic nucleotide-binding-like protein from Brucella abortus.

The cyclic nucleotide-binding (CNB)-like protein (CNB-L) from Brucella abortus shares sequence homology with CNB domain-containing proteins. We determined the crystal structure of CNB-L at 2.0 Å resolution in the absence of its C-terminal helix and nucleotide.

Matrine inhibits the proliferation, invasion and migration of castration-resistant prostate cancer cells through regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Matrine is a naturally occurring alkaloid extracted from the Chinese herb Sophora flavescens. It has been demonstrated to exhibit antiproliferative properties, promote apoptosis and inhibit cell invasion in a number of cancer cell lines. It has also been shown to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy when it is combined with other chemotherapy drugs.

Contrast-based sensorless adaptive optics for retinal imaging.

Conventional adaptive optics ophthalmoscopes use wavefront sensing methods to characterize ocular aberrations for real-time correction. However, there are important situations in which the wavefront sensing step is susceptible to difficulties that affect the accuracy of the correction. To circumvent these, wavefront sensorless adaptive optics (or non-wavefront sensing AO; NS-AO) imaging has recently been developed and has been applied to point-scanning based retinal imaging modalities.

The effect of intraocular and intracranial pressure on retinal structure and function in rats.

An increasing number of studies indicate that the optic nerve head of the eye is sensitive not only to changes in intraocular pressure (IOP), but also to intracranial pressure (ICP). This study examines changes to optic nerve and retinal structure in a rat model in response to a range of IOP and ICP levels using optical coherence tomography. Furthermore, we examine the functional sequelae of these structural changes by quantifying the effect of pressure changes on the electroretinogram.

Prenatal ethanol exposure-induced adrenal developmental abnormality of male offspring rats and its possible intrauterine programming mechanisms.

Fetal adrenal developmental status is the major determinant of fetal tissue maturation and offspring growth. We have previously proposed that prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) suppresses fetal adrenal corticosterone (CORT) synthesis. Here, we focused on PEE-induced adrenal developmental abnormalities of male offspring rats before and after birth, and aimed to explore its intrauterine programming mechanisms.

Development of tyrosinase biosensor based on quantum dots/chitosan nanocomposite for detection of phenolic compounds.

A sensitive and simple amperometric biosensor for phenols was developed based on the immobilization of tyrosinase into CdS quantum dots/chitosan nanocomposite matrix. The nanocomposite film with porous nanostructure, excellent hydrophilicity and biocompatibility resulted in high enzyme loading, and the tyrosinase (Tyr) immobilized in this novel matrix retained its activity to a large extent. The CdS quantum dots/chitosan nanocomposite film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the parameters of the various experimental variables for the biosensor were optimized.

Circulating antibodies to p16 protein-derived peptides in breast cancer.

Overexpression of the p16 protein has been reported in breast cancer and may trigger the secretion of antibodies against itself. Circulating anti-p16 antibodies that were detected with a recombinant protein have been reported in breast cancer. The present study was designed to determine whether the levels of circulating IgG antibody to p16 protein-derived linear antigens are altered in breast cancer.

In situ observation of the sodiation process in CuO nanowires.

In situ transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the dynamic evolution of the morphology and phase transformations in CuO nanowires during the process of sodiation. Our results facilitate a fundamental understanding of the sodiation mechanism in CuO nanostructures used as electrode materials in sodium ion batteries.

Low functional programming of renal AT2R mediates the developmental origin of glomerulosclerosis in adult offspring induced by prenatal caffeine exposure.

Our previous study has indicated that prenatal caffeine exposure (PCE) could induce intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) of offspring. Recent research suggested that IUGR is a risk factor for glomerulosclerosis. However, whether PCE could induce glomerulosclerosis and its underlying mechanisms remain unknown.

Increased DNA methylation of scavenger receptor class B type I contributes to inhibitory effects of prenatal caffeine ingestion on cholesterol uptake and steroidogenesis in fetal adrenals.

Steroid hormones synthesized from cholesterol in the fetal adrenal are crucial for fetal development. We have observed the inhibited fetal adrenal corticosterone synthesis and increased intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) rate in rats under prenatal caffeine ingestion. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of prenatal caffeine ingestion on cholesterol supply in fetal adrenal steroidogenesis in rats and explore the underlying epigenetic mechanisms.

Room-temperature electrically pumped near-infrared random lasing from high-quality m-plane ZnO-based metal-insulator-semiconductor devices.

Epitaxial m-plane ZnO thin films have been deposited on m-plane sapphire substrates at a low temperature of 200°C by atomic layer deposition. A 90° in-plane rotation is observed between the m-plane ZnO thin films and the sapphire substrates. Moreover, the residual strain along the ZnO [-12-10] direction is released.

Chronic ocular hypertension induced by circumlimbal suture in rats.

Purpose: To induce chronic intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation in rat eyes by circumlimbal suture.

Methods: Anesthetized (isoflurane) Long-Evans rats underwent unilateral circumlimbal suture implantation while the fellow eyes served as untreated controls (n = 15). A sham group (n = 8) received the same procedure except that the suture was loosely tied.

Adaptive shaping of cortical response selectivity in the vibrissa pathway.

One embodiment of context-dependent sensory processing is bottom-up adaptation, where persistent stimuli decrease neuronal firing rate over hundreds of milliseconds. Adaptation is not, however, simply the fatigue of the sensory pathway, but shapes the information flow and selectivity to stimulus features. Adaptation enhances spatial discriminability (distinguishing stimulus location) while degrading detectability (reporting presence of the stimulus), for both the ideal observer of the cortex and awake, behaving animals.

Gender-specific increase in susceptibility to metabolic syndrome of offspring rats after prenatal caffeine exposure with post-weaning high-fat diet.

Prenatal caffeine exposure (PCE) alters the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis-associated neuroendocrine metabolic programming and induces an increased susceptibility to metabolic syndrome (MS) in intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) offspring rats. High-fat diet (HFD) is one of the main environmental factors accounting for the incidence of MS. In this study, we aimed to clarify the gender-specific increase in susceptibility to MS in offspring rats after PCE with post-weaning HFD.

A dose-response study of vitamin D3 supplementation in healthy Chinese: a 5-arm randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Purpose: To determine the dose-response of vitamin D3 supplementation on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] among Chinese adults.

Methods: In this 5-arm, randomized, double-blinded controlled trial, 76 healthy participants were assigned to orally administrate 0, 400, 800, 1200 or 2000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for 16 weeks. Serum 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone, calcium, biomarkers of liver and renal function were measured at multiple time points.

Expression and prognostic value of CD97 and its ligand CD55 in pancreatic cancer.

CD97 is a member of the epidermal growth factor-seven transmembrane family. It affects tumor aggressiveness by binding its cellular ligand CD55 and exhibits adhesive properties. Previous studies have shown that CD97 and CD55 are involved in the dedifferentiation, migration, invasiveness and metastasis of tumors.

The role of histamine in the retina: studies on the Hdc knockout mouse.

The role of histamine in the retina is not well understood, despite it regulating a number of functions within the brain, including sleep, feeding, energy balance, and anxiety. In this study we characterized the structure and function of the retina in mice that lacked expression of the rate limiting enzyme in the formation of histamine, histidine decarboxylase (Hdc-/- mouse). Using laser capture microdissection, Hdc mRNA expression was assessed in the inner and outer nuclear layers of adult C57Bl6J wildtype (WT) and Hdc(-/-)-retinae.

Redox metabolites signal polymicrobial biofilm development via the NapA oxidative stress cascade in Aspergillus.

Background: Filamentous fungi and bacteria form mixed-species biofilms in nature and diverse clinical contexts. They secrete a wealth of redox-active small molecule secondary metabolites, which are traditionally viewed as toxins that inhibit growth of competing microbes.

Results: Here, we report that these "toxins" can act as interspecies signals, affecting filamentous fungal development via oxidative stress regulation.

Chronic intraocular pressure elevation impairs autoregulatory capacity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat retina.

Purpose: To assess ocular blood flow responses to acute IOP stress following 4 weeks of chronic IOP elevation in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic and control rats. We hypothesise that chronic IOP elevation for 4 weeks will further impair blood flow regulation in STZ-induced diabetic rats eyes.

Methods: Two weeks following citrate buffer or STZ-injections chronic IOP elevation was induced in Long Evans rats via fortnightly intracameral injections of microspheres (15 μm) suspended in 5% polyethylene glycol.

Chronic hypertension increases susceptibility to acute IOP challenge in rats.

Purpose: To consider the effect of chronic arterial hypertension on the susceptibility of the retina to acute IOP challenge.

Methods: Anesthetized adult Long-Evans rats with normal (n = 5, receiving saline subcutaneously), chronic high blood pressure (BP) for 4 weeks (n = 15, Angiotensin II subcutaneously), and acute high BP for 1 hour (n = 10, Angiotensin II intravenously) underwent IOP elevation (10-120 mm Hg, 5 mm Hg steps each 3 minutes). During IOP elevation, retinal function and ocular blood flow were monitored with electroretinogram (ERG) and laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF), respectively.

Quantitative spatial and temporal analysis of fluorescein angiography dynamics in the eye.

Purpose: We describe a novel approach to analyze fluorescein angiography to investigate fluorescein flow dynamics in the rat posterior retina as well as identify abnormal areas following laser photocoagulation.

Methods: Experiments were undertaken in adult Long Evans rats. Using a rodent retinal camera, videos were acquired at 30 frames per second for 30 seconds following intravenous introduction of sodium fluorescein in a group of control animals (n = 14).