Anticholinesterases and antioxidant alkamides from Piper nigrum fruits.

The anticholinesterase and antioxidant effects of five different extracts of Piper nigrum were evaluated. Twenty-one known alkamides were isolated from active ethyl acetate extract and investigated for their cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant effects. Among them, piperine (2), piperettine (5) and piperettyline (20) exhibited dual inhibition against AChE and BChE, and feruperine (18) was the most potent selective inhibitor of BChE.

Characterization of a Chinese KCNQ1 mutation (R259H) that shortens repolarization and causes short QT syndrome 2.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between a KCNQ1 mutation, R259H, and short QT syndrome (SQTS) and to explore the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying their association.

Methods: We performed genetic screening of SQTS genes in 25 probands and their family members (63 patients). We used direct sequencing to screen the exons and intron-exon boundaries of candidate genes that encode ion channels which contribute to the repolarization of the ventricular action potential, including KCNQ1, KCNH2, KCNE1, KCNE2, KCNJ2, CACNA1c, CACNB2b and CACNA2D1.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ Pro12Ala polymorphism decrease the risk of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes: a meta analysis.

Background: The association between peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) Pro12Ala polymorphism and T2DN risk is inconclusive and contradictory. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis.

Methods: All relevant studies were searched by using the PubMed and EMBASE.

Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Urban Expansion in China.

The scale of urbanization in China during the past three decades is unprecedented in human history, and the processes are poorly understood. Here we present an effort to map the urban land expansion processes of 32 major cities in China from 1978 to 2010 using Landsat satellite data to understand the temporal and spatial characteristics. Results showed that the urban extent of the 32 cities expanded exponentially with very high annual rates varying from 3.

Urocortin attenuates TGFβ1-induced Snail1 and slug expressions: inhibitory role of Smad7 in Smad2/3 signaling in breast cancer cells.

Corticortropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family are multifunctional endocrine-factors that regulate proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of various types of cancer cells. Deregulation of the transforming growth factor β1(TGFβ1) signal transduction promotes aggressive metastatic properties in late-stage breast cancers. We previously have demonstrated in breast cancer cell line that CRH suppressed TGFβ1-induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) via induction of E-cadherin.

Gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric aptasensor for rapid detection of six organophosphorous pesticides.

Fast immunoassay-based screening methods are unavailable for most small-molecule pesticides because of a lack of immunogenicity and the difficulty in obtaining antibodies by animal immunization. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA molecules selected through an in vitro process, which can bind to any target including nonimmunogenic small molecules with high affinity and specificity. Although various aptamer-based sensing methods have been developed for antibiotics, microorganisms, heavy metal ions, and biotoxins, there are few reports on aptamer-based methods for quick detection of organophosphorous pesticides.

Tenuigenin ameliorates acute lung injury by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathways.

We aimed to explore the protective effect of tenuigenin (TNG) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory responses in acute lung injury (ALI). Thus, we assessed the effects of TNG on the LPS-induced production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in the culture supernatants of RAW 264.7 cells.

[Effect of allitridum on remodeling of the transient outward potassium current of ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats].

We aimed to study the effect of allitridum (All) on the transient outward potassium current (Ito) of ventricular myocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Totally 30 male SHRs were randomly divided into three groups: low-dose All group (7.5 mg·kg(-1)), high-dose All group (15.

Inhibition of the spinal astrocytic JNK/MCP-1 pathway activation correlates with the analgesic effects of tanshinone IIA sulfonate in neuropathic pain.

Background: Neuropathic pain (NP) continues to be challenging to treat due to lack of effective drugs. Accumulating evidence elucidated that glia-mediated inflammatory reactions play a pivotal role in the introduction and development of NP. Besides, activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) pathway in astrocytes has been reported to be critical for spinal astrocytic activation and neuropathic pain development after spinal nerve ligation (SNL).

Corticotrophin-releasing factor participates in S1PR3-dependent cPLA2 expression and cell motility in vascular smooth muscle cells.

This work is to investigate the role of CRF receptors in VSMC migration and the relevant mechanisms. We studied the role of CRF receptors in cell motility and found that S1P signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of cPLA2 induced by CRF. S1P is synthesized by Sphk1 and Sphk2 and binds to five GPCR designated S1P1-5.

Different analgesic effects of intrathecal endomorphin-2 on thermal hyperalgesia and evoked inflammatory pain in ovariectomized rats.

Hormone replacement remains one of the common therapies for menopause-related pain but is associated with risk of orofacial or back pain. Spinal endomorphin-2 (EM-2) is involved in varied pain and its release is steroid-dependent, but whether increasing spinal EM-2 can inhibit thermal hyperalgesia and inflammatory pain in ovariectomized (OVX) female rats, an animal model mimicking menopause, is not clear, nor is the potential involvement of spinal mu-opioid receptor (MOR). In the current study, we revealed that the temporal decrease of spinal EM-2 is accompanied with OVX-induced thermal hyperalgesia that was dose-dependently attenuated by intrathecal (IT) delivery of EM-2.

Sensitive colorimetric detection of cyromazine in cucumber samples by using label-free gold nanoparticles and polythymine.

Cyromazine (CYR) can cause serious damage to the organs of animals or human beings, and it was found to bind to polythymine (polyT10) via multiple hydrogen bonding interactions. Based on this novel finding, a highly sensitive and simple colorimetric method was developed for CYR detection by using label-free gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and polyT10. Under the optimized conditions, excellent linearity was acquired for CYR within the range of 1-500 ng mL(-1).

Converting campus waste into renewable energy - a case study for the University of Cincinnati.

This paper evaluates the implementation of three waste-to-energy projects at the University of Cincinnati: waste cooking oil-to-biodiesel, waste paper-to-fuel pellets and food waste-to-biogas, respectively. The implementation of these waste-to-energy (WTE) projects would lead to the improvement of campus sustainability by minimizing waste management efforts and reducing GHG emissions via the displacement of fossil fuel usage. Technical and economic aspects of their implementation were assessed and the corresponding GHG reduction was estimated.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Hyla tsinlingensis (Anura: Hylidae).

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is one of the important molecular markers in studying population genetic structure and evolutionary history. Hyla tsinlingensis is an endemic species in the family Hylidae, which is only distributed on Tsinling-Dabieshan Mountains in central China. The complete mitochondrial genome of H.

Cloning and characterization of a ribosomal protein L23a gene from Small Tail Han sheep by screening of a cDNA expression library.

As an indispensable component of the eukaryotic ribosome, ribosomal protein L23a plays an important role in protein synthesis, folding and sorting. In this study, the cDNA fragment of ribosomal protein L23a with 471 bp in size was screened from the Small Tail Han sheep ear marginal tissue cDNA expression library, it has 157 amino acids and a molecular weight of 17.69 kDa.

Systematic analysis of the clinical and biochemical characteristics of maternally inherited hypertension in Chinese Han families associated with mitochondrial.

Background: Mitochondrial DNA mutations may be associated with cardiovascular disease, including the common cardiac vascular disease, hypertension.

Methods: In this study we performed segregation analysis and systematically evaluated the entire mitochondrial genome in nine maternally inherited hypertension probands from Chinese Han families. We also performed clinical, genetic and molecular characterization of 74 maternally inherited members from these families and 216 healthy controls.

Slow-releasing rapamycin-coated bionic peripheral nerve scaffold promotes the regeneration of rat sciatic nerve after injury.

Aims: To investigate the effect of locally slow-released rapamycin (RAPA) from the bionic peripheral nerve scaffold on rat sciatic nerve regeneration in the early phase of nerve injury.

Main Methods: Slow-releasing RAPA-polyhydroxy alcohol (PLGA) microspheres were prepared and tested for microsphere diameter and slow-release effect in vitro after loading onto nerve scaffold. A total of 48 male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and 3 experimental groups as follows: group 1: RAPA-PLGA scaffold; group 2: RAPA scaffold; and group 3: scaffold alone.

Highly sensitive colorimetric detection of 17β-estradiol using split DNA aptamers immobilized on unmodified gold nanoparticles.

Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) based colorimetric aptasensor have been developed for many analytes recently largely because of the ease of detection, high sensitivity, and potential for high-throughput analysis. Most of the target aptamers for detection have short sequences. However, the approach shows poor performance in terms of detection sensitivity for most of the long-sequence aptamers.

Surface engineering of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass with low energy Ar- or Ca-ion implantation.

In the present study, low energy ion implantation was employed to engineer the surface of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG), aiming at improving the biocompatibility and imparting bioactivity to the surface. Ca- or Ar-ions were implanted at 10 or 50 keV at a fluence of 8 × 10(15)ions/cm(2) to (Zr0.55Al0.

[Mitochondrial DNA mutation associated with hypertension in tRNA(Ile) and tRNA(Gln) genes].

Objective: To study the relationship between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and hypertension.

Methods: Clinical data of two pedigrees with maternally transmitted hypertension was collected. Whole mtDNA sequence was analyzed.

Electrophysiological and trafficking defects of the SCN5A T353I mutation in Brugada syndrome are rescued by alpha-allocryptopine.

Brugada syndrome (BrS), which causes arrhythmias that lead to sudden cardiac death, is linked to loss-of-function mutations that affect sodium channels. Here, we investigate the rescue effect of alpha-allocryptopine (All) from Chinese herbal medicine in a T353I mutation of SCN5A, which combines trafficking abnormalities with Brugada syndrome. SCN5A-T353I expressed in HEK293 cells showed a small peak current (I(peak)) of only 59.

Emodin-loaded magnesium silicate hollow nanocarriers for anti-angiogenesis treatment through inhibiting VEGF.

The applications of anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) treatment in ophthalmic fields to inhibit angiogenesis have been widely documented in recent years. However, the hydrophobic nature of many agents makes its delivery difficult in practice. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to introduce a new kind of hydrophobic drug carrier by employing nanoparticles with a hollow structure inside.

HSOG: a novel local image descriptor based on histograms of the second-order gradients.

Recent investigations on human vision discover that the retinal image is a landscape or a geometric surface, consisting of features such as ridges and summits. However, most of existing popular local image descriptors in the literature, e.g.

Focal adhesion kinase knockdown in carcinoma-associated fibroblasts inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma metastasis via downregulating MCP-1/CCL2 expression.

Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been demonstrated to play an important role in the occurrence and development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of CAFs on OSCC cells and to explore the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in this process. The results showed that oral CAFs expressed a higher level of FAK than normal human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), and the conditioned medium (CM) of CAFs could induce the invasion and migration of SCC-25, one oral squamous carcinoma cell line.

Gene expression profiling analysis of locus coeruleus in idiopathic Parkinson's disease by bioinformatics.

This study aimed to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) by bioinformatics analysis. Gene expression profile GSE34516 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Eight locus coeruleus post-mortem tissue samples derived from four IPD patients and four neurological healthy controls were used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by paired t test.