Cryo-EM structure of orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR21.

GPR21 belongs to class A orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). The endogenous ligands for human GPR21 remain unidentified. GPR21 expression is associated with developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM), a multifactorial metabolic disease caused by pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, decreasing insulin production, insulin resistance, and obesity.

Two New Brackish-Water Species of (Platyhelminthes: Macrostomorpha) from China and Their Phylogenetic Positions.

In this paper, two new brackish-water species of the macrostomid turbellarian genus , sp. nov. and sp.

Injectable Self-Healing Hydrogel via Biological Environment-Adaptive Supramolecular Assembly for Gastric Perforation Healing.

Developing effective internal wound dressing materials is important for postoperative tissue regeneration while remains a challenge due to the poor biological environment-adaptability of conventional materials. Here, we report an example of injectable self-healing hydrogel based on gastric environment-adaptive supramolecular assembly, and have explored its application for gastric perforation healing. By leveraging the gastric environment-modulated supramolecular interactions, the self-assembled hydrogel network is orchestrated with sensitive thermo-responsibility, injectability, printability and rapid self-healing capability.

Adhesive Coacervates Driven by Hydrogen-Bonding Interaction.

Coacervation plays a critical role in numerous biological activities such as constructing biological tissues and achieving robust wet adhesion of marine sessile organisms, which conventionally occurs when oppositely charged polyelectrolytes are mixed in aqueous solutions driven by electrostatic attraction. Here, a novel type of adhesive coacervate is reported, driven by hydrogen-bonding interactions, readily formed by mixing silicotungstic acid and nonionic polyethylene glycol in water, providing a new approach for developing coacervates from nonionic systems. The as-prepared coacervate is easily paintable underwater, show strong wet adhesion to diverse substrates, and has been successfully applied as a hemostatic agent to treat organ injuries without displaying hemolytic activity, while with inherent antimicrobial properties thus avoiding inflammations and infections due to microorganism accumulation.

Expression profiles of genes associated with inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in lung after heat stroke.

Background: Heat stroke (HS) is a physically dysfunctional illness caused by hyperthermia. Lung, as the important place for gas-exchange and heat-dissipation organ, is often first to be injured. Lung injury caused by HS impairs the ventilation function of lung, which will subsequently cause damage to other tissues and organs.

Metformin attenuates hepatoma cell proliferation by decreasing glycolytic flux through the HIF-1α/PFKFB3/PFK1 pathway.

Aims: Enhanced aerobic glycolysis is an essential hallmark of malignant cancer. Blocking the glycolytic pathway has been suggested as a therapeutic strategy to impair the proliferation of tumor cells. Metformin, a widely used anti-diabetes drug, exhibits anti-tumor properties.

RNF135 is a positive regulator of IFN expression and involved in RIG-I signaling pathway by targeting RIG-I.

RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) play a key role in antiviral and inflammatory responses. Increasing evidence indicates that ubiquitination is crucial for regulation of RIG-I signaling pathway. Several ubiquitin ligases were reported to be involved in RIG-I-mediated signal transduction.

Identification of surrogate prognostic biomarkers for allergic asthma in nasal epithelial brushing samples by WGCNA.

Background: Allergic asthma is a lower respiratory tract disease of Th2 inflammation with multiple molecular mechanisms. The upper and lower airways can be unified by the concept of a united airway and, as such, gene expression studies of upper epithelial cells may provide effective surrogate biomarkers for the prognostic study of allergic asthma.

Objective: To identify surrogate biomarkers in upper airway epithelial cells for the prognostic study of allergic asthma.

Negative regulation of Sirtuin 1 by AMP-activated protein kinase promotes metformin-induced senescence in hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts.

Increasing evidence suggests that therapy-induced senescence (TIS), a novel therapeutic approach in which low doses of therapeutic drugs or radiation are used to induce senescence, suppresses tumor development. Our previous in vitro studies have demonstrated that a low dose of metformin promoted hepatoma cell senescence instead of apoptosis via activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inactivation of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) deacetylase activity. However, the intricate relationship between AMPK and SIRT1, and how they cooperate to induce senescence remains elusive.

[Impact of platelet count on prognosis of stage II-III colorectal cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy].

Objective: To analyze the impact of platelet count on the prognosis of stage II-III colorectal cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: Clinical and follow-up data of 286 patients with stage II-III colorectal cancer receiving adjuvant FOLFOX chemotherapy from March 2003 to October 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. Associations of baseline blood platelet count before chemotherapy and nadir blood platelet count during chemotherapy with relapse and death after adjuvant chemotherapy were analyzed by ROC curve and the optimal cutoff was selected.