Exenatide improves hepatocyte insulin resistance induced by different regional adipose tissue.

Obesity is resulted from energy surplus and is characterized by abnormal adipose tissue accumulation and/or distribution. Adipokines secreted by different regional adipose tissue can induce changes in key proteins of the insulin signaling pathway in hepatocytes and result in impaired hepatic glucose metabolism. This study aimed to investigate whether exenatide affects key proteins of IRS2/PI3K/Akt2 signaling pathway in hepatocytes altered by the different regional fat depots.

Anomalous circular photogalvanic effect in p-GaAs.

The anomalous circular photogalvanic effect (ACPGE) is observed in p-GaAs with a thickness of 2 μm at room temperature, in which circularly polarized light is used to inject spin-polarized carriers and the spin diffusion can generate a macroscopic detectable charge current due to the inverse spin Hall effect. The normalized ACPGE signals show first increasing and then decreasing with increasing the doping concentration. The role of the doping impurities is discussed by both extrinsic and intrinsic models, and both can well explain the variation of ACPGE with the doping concentration.

Air-pollutant mass concentration changes during COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai, China.

To curb the spread of the coronavirus, China implemented lockdown policies on January 23, 2020. The resulting extreme changes in human behavior may have influenced the air pollutants concentration. However, despite these changes, hazy weather persisted in Shanghai and became a public issue.

Valley controlled Andreev reflection and valley-switch effect in graphene-based superconducting hybrid structures.

The presence of the valley degree of freedom in two-dimensional materials leads to the valleytronics, in which information is encoded by the valley quantum number of the electron. For graphene-based superconducting hybrid structures, with the incoming electron and the Andreev reflected hole belonging to two opposite valleys, the Andreev reflection (AR) can be controlled by the valley degree of freedom. Here, we investigate theoretically the AR in graphene-based normal/supercondcutor junctions.

Design and Analysis of the Measurement Characteristics of a Bidirectional-Decoupling Over-Constrained Six-Dimensional Parallel-Mechanism Force Sensor.

The measurement of large forces and the presence of errors due to dimensional coupling are significant challenges for multi-dimensional force sensors. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an over-constrained six-dimensional force sensor based on a parallel mechanism of steel ball structures as a measurement module. The steel ball structure can be subject to rolling friction instead of sliding friction, thus reducing the influence of friction.

Diaporine, a novel endophyte-derived regulator of macrophage differentiation.

Diaporine (1), an unprecedented symmetric polyketide, was characterized from the endophytic fungus. The structure was determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses. Diaporine can inhibit significantly the differentiation of macrophages and has potential to induce conversion from the M2 to the M1 phenotype, in addition to regulation of the TLR4-MAPK signal pathway and PPARγ activity.

Association of plasma interleukin-18 levels and polymorphisms in interleukin-18 gene with outcomes of hepatitis C virus infections: a meta-analysis.

Several polymorphisms in the interleukin-18 (IL-18) gene and plasma IL-18 levels have been reported to influence hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, the published findings have been conflicting. We conducted meta-analyses of randomized, controlled trials to address the association of IL-18 polymorphisms and plasma IL-18 levels and the outcomes of HCV infection.

Tunnel anisotropic magnetoresistance in graphene with Rashba spin-orbit interaction.

Ballistic transport in a graphene-based normal/ferromagnetic barrier/normal junction in the presence of Rashba-type spin-orbit interaction (RSOI) is investigated by the non-equilibrium Green's function approach. It is found that due to the interplay between ferromagnetic exchange coupling and RSOI, the energy dispersion in the ferromagnetic barrier depends on the magnetization direction. The conductance changes by varying the magnetization direction, resulting in a tunnel anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR).

Retroperitoneal lymphatic malformation in child with horseshoe kidney.

We describe a 12-year-old girl with a retroperitoneal lymphatic malformation (LM) and horseshoe kidney. The imaging characteristics of the lesions are reported. Retroperitoneal LM coexisting with horseshoe kidney is extremely rare.

Bladder leiomyoma in a 6-year-old boy.

The present report describes a 6-year-old boy with leiomyoma of the bladder and the imaging characteristics of the lesion, including images from ultrasonography, computed tomography, and the histopathologic examination. Leiomyoma of bladder is extremely rare in children. The present case, to our knowledge, represents the second reported case of bladder leiomyoma in pediatric patients since 1966.

Cystic lymphatic malformation of bladder presenting as a pelvic mass.

We report a 5-year-old boy with a cystic lymphatic malformation (LM) of bladder, and the imaging characteristics of the lesion are reported. Cystic LM of the urinary system is rare, and a location in the bladder is extremely rare. The exact mechanism of the lesion that occurs in bladder is unknown.

The development of satellite cells and their niche in striated muscle complex of anorectal malformations rat embryos.

Background: It has been demonstrated that different degrees of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) maldevelop in anorectal malformations (ARMs); yet the development of satellite cells, the myogenic stem cells responsible for muscle growth, repair, and maintenance remains elusive during the embryogenesis of PFM. Striated muscle complex (SMC) is one of the most important components of PFM. The objective of this study was to observe the development pattern of satellite cells and their niche of SMC and investigate its possible role in PFM dysplasia in ARMs.

Long-term follow-up and management of prenatally detected, isolated hydronephrosis.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the outcome and management of infants with isolated hydronephrosis, detected prenatally and confirmed postnatally.

Materials And Methods: Between January 1988 and January 2008, the files of 629 children (492 males and 137 females), who were diagnosed prenatally with isolated, unilateral hydronephrosis, and the diagnosis was confirmed postnatally, were retrospectively reviewed. The median follow-up time was 142 months.

Lymphangioma of bladder.

Lymphangioma in the bladder is extremely rare. An 8-year-old girl presented with a terminal hematuria associated with intermitted fever. Ultrasonography, computed tomogram, and retrograde urethrography showed a mass that was in the wall of the bladder.

PTEN and rapamycin inhibiting the growth of K562 cells through regulating mTOR signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate, in vitro, the regulatory effects of tumor-suppressing gene PTEN on mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway, the effects of transfected PTEN and rapamycin on the growth inhibition, and apoptosis induction for human leukemia cell line K562 cells.

Methods: K562 cells were transfected with recombined adenovirus-PTEN vector containing green fluorescent protein (Ad-PTEN-GFP), followed by the treatment of the cells with or without rapamycin. The proliferation inhibition rate and apoptotic rate of these transfected and/or rapamycin treated K562 cells were measured by MTT assay and flow cytometry (FCM), the expression levels of PTEN-, mTOR-, cyclinD1- and P27kip1- mRNA were measured by real-time fluorescent relative-quantification reverse transcriptional PCR (FQ-PCR), the protein expression levels of PTEN, Akt, p-Akt were detected by western blotting.

Ureteral polyps: an etiological factor of hydronephrosis in children that should not be ignored.

To better define the demographics, urothelial distribution and typical gross anatomic and radiologic appearances of fibroepithelial polyps of the ureter in children. We reviewed 15 cases of fibroepithelial polyps of the ureter with hydronephrosis from the archives of our department. Data were collected from radiographic studies, gross anatomic pathology and pathology and radiology reports and categorized by age, sex, clinical presentation, lesion size and location.

Spin-triplet pairing states in ferromagnet/ferromagnet/d-wave superconductor heterojunctions with noncollinear magnetizations.

Tunneling conductance in clean ferromagnet/ ferromagnet/d-wave superconductor (F/F/d-wave S) double tunnel junctions is studied by use of four-component Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. The novel Andreev reflection appears due to noncollinear magnetizations, in which the incident electron and the Andreev-reflected hole come from the same spin subband, resulting in spin-triplet pairing states near the F/S interface. In the highly polarized Fs case, the conductance within the energy gap exhibits a conversion from a zero-bias dip in the parallel magnetizations to a spilt zero-bias peak in the perpendicular magnetizations.

The expression of HSP70 and HSP90alpha in children with Wilms tumor.

Background/purpose: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are synthesized by cells in response to various stress conditions, including carcinogenesis. Some studies also showed that they might predict clinical prognosis. The aim of this study is to detect the expression of HSP70 and HSP90alpha in children with Wilms tumor and explore its clinical significance.