Altered functional connectivity in an aged rat model of postoperative cognitive dysfunction: a study using resting-state functional MRI.

Background: Postoperative cognitive impairment is a common complication after cardiac and major non-cardiac surgery in the elderly, but its causes and mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of the current study was to use resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore changes in the functional connectivity, i.e.

Synthesis and antifungal activity of the novel triazole derivatives containing 1,2,3-triazole fragment.

A series of fluconazole analogues containing 1,2,3-triazole fragment have been designed and synthesized on the basis of the active site of the cytochrome P450 14α-demethylase (CYP51). Their structures were characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and LC-MS. The MIC80 values indicate that the target compounds 1a-r showed higher activities against nearly all the fungi tested to some extent except against Aspergillus fumigatus.

Elevated 12-month and lifetime prevalence and comorbidity rates of mood, anxiety, and alcohol use disorders in Chinese men who have sex with men.

Background: This study aimed to assess whether Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) had a significantly elevated prevalence of psychiatric disorders compared to urban males in China.

Methods: 807 MSM were recruited using a respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method in urban area of northeast China. Psychiatric disorders were assessed employing the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI.

Developmental decline in neuronal regeneration by the progressive change of two intrinsic timers.

Like mammalian neurons, Caenorhabditis elegans neurons lose axon regeneration ability as they age, but it is not known why. Here, we report that let-7 contributes to a developmental decline in anterior ventral microtubule (AVM) axon regeneration. In older AVM axons, let-7 inhibits regeneration by down-regulating LIN-41, an important AVM axon regeneration-promoting factor.

Intracellular release of doxorubicin from core-crosslinked polypeptide micelles triggered by both pH and reduction conditions.

Reduction and pH dual-sensitive reversibly core-crosslinked polypeptide micelles were developed from lipoic acid (LA) and cis-1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (CCA) decorated poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lysine) (PEG-P(LL-CCA/LA)) block copolymers for active loading and triggered intracellular release of doxorubicin (DOX). PEG-P(LL18-CCA4/LA14) and PEG-P(LL18-CCA8/LA10) (M(n PEG) = 5.0 kg/mol) formed nano-sized micelles that were readily crosslinked in the presence of a catalytic amount of dithiothreitol (DTT) in phosphate buffer (pH 7.

A multicenter comparative study of UCu200, TCu380A, and medicated γ-IUD devices inserted immediately after vacuum aspiration.

Objective: To compare safety and efficacy among 3 types of intrauterine device (IUD), namely UCu200, TCu380A, and medicated γ-IUD, when inserted after vacuum aspiration.

Methods: In a multicenter randomized comparative study, 1800 parous women requesting an IUD were enrolled in 12 centers across China in 2004-2005. The women received 1 of the 3 types of IUD and were followed-up for 12 months.

Expression pattern of sorting Nexin 25 in temporal lobe epilepsy: a study on patients and pilocarpine-induced rats.

Purpose: The transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway is involved in the epileptogenesis. Sorting Nexin 25 (SNX25) has been recently proposed to modulate TGF-β signaling through endosomal sorting of TGF-β receptors for lysosomal degradation. The aim of the present study was to determine the expression pattern of SNX25 in brains of epilepsy patients and in animal model of epilepsy.

Aggressive natural killer-cell leukemia with jaundice and spontaneous splenic rupture: a case report and review of the literature.

Unlabelled: Aggressive natural killer cell leukemia/lymphoma (ANKL) is a rare aggressive form of NK-cell neoplasm. We report an uncommon case of 36-year-old male who showed jaundice and spontaneous splenic rupture. The diagnosis was established by the biopsy of liver and spleen.

Simultaneously strong and tough ultrafine continuous nanofibers.

Strength of structural materials and fibers is usually increased at the expense of strain at failure and toughness. Recent experimental studies have demonstrated improvements in modulus and strength of electrospun polymer nanofibers with reduction of their diameter. Nanofiber toughness has not been analyzed; however, from the classical materials property trade-off, one can expect it to decrease.

Screening for urinary biomarkers of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome in children.

The present study aimed to screen for urinary biomarkers of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) in children. These biomarkers were divided into three groups, the control, the steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) and the SRNS groups, which were composed of 45, 32 and 9 children, respectively. Urine samples were obtained and analyzed using Au-chips.

Synthesis and in vitro antitumor activities of xanthone derivatives containing 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole moiety.

To explore the more active antitumor compounds, two series of new xanthones, containing 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole moiety were designed and synthesized. Eaton's Reagent and "click reaction" were used in the synthesis. Most of the title compounds showed good inhibitory activity against the hepatoma carcinoma cell line (Bel-7402) and human cervical carcinoma cell line (HeLa) in vitro.

Extraordinary improvement of the graphitic structure of continuous carbon nanofibers templated with double wall carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes are being widely studied as a reinforcing element in high-performance composites and fibers at high volume fractions. However, problems with nanotube processing, alignment, and non-optimal stress transfer between the nanotubes and surrounding matrix have so far prevented full utilization of their superb mechanical properties in composites. Here, we present an alternative use of carbon nanotubes, at a very small concentration, as a templating agent for the formation of graphitic structure in fibers.

[Research on mercury methylation by Geobacter sulfurreducens and its influencing factors].

Mercury methylation by Geobacter sulfurreducens and the effects of environmental factors were studied under laboratory conditions. The results showed that G. sulfurreducens could grow well in the presence of low concentrations of mercuric chloride, but its growth was inhibited to a certain extent, mainly expressed in the prolonged lag phase.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel 1, 2, 4-triazole derivatives as antifungal agent.

A series of novel 1, 2, 4-triazole derivatives (9a-p) have been designed and synthesized as the potential antifungal agents. All compounds were characterized by (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR, and LCMS. Their antifungal activities against seven human pathogenic fungi were evaluated in vitro by measuring the minimal inhibitory concentrations.

Influence of the core circadian gene "Clock" on obesity and leptin resistance in mice.

Alterations in metabolism could be due to cell-autonomous effects associated with altered expression of Clock in central nervous system feeding centers and/or peripheral tissues involved in metabolism. Clock mutant mice are hyperphagic and obese, which indicates that Clock is related to obesity. In the present study, we used intracerebroventricular injection of recombinant adenoviral vector harboring Clock genes to explore the role of Clock on diet induced obesity and the mechanisms involved in leptin resistance and leptin signaling in mice.

Protective effects of dietary fibre against manganese-induced neurobehavioral aberrations in rats.

We tested the hypothesis that dietary fibre (DF) has protective effects against manganese (Mn)-induced neurotoxicity. Forty-eight one-month old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: control, 16 % DF, Mn (50 mg kg-1 body weight), Mn+ 4 % DF, Mn+ 8 % DF, and Mn+ 16 % DF. After oral administration of Mn (as MnCl2) by intragastric tube during one month, we determined Mn concentrations in the blood, liver, cerebral cortex, and stool and tested neurobehavioral functions.

Effects of epidermal growth factor receptor and phosphatase and tensin homologue gene expression on the inhibition of U87MG glioblastoma cell proliferation induced by protein kinase inhibitors.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the antiproliferative effects and mechanisms of action of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs) in human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells with different epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) status. The GBM cell models were established by transfection of plasmids carrying wild-type EGFR, mutated EGFRvIII or PTEN and clonal selection in U87MG cells. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)/AKT pathway-focused gene profiles were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction-based assays, protein expression was evaluated by western blotting and the antiproliferative effects of PKI treatment were determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2 thiazoyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in GBM cells.

A high frequency of MSH6 G268A polymorphism and survival association in glioblastoma.

MSH6 (mutS homolog 6), one of the five key mismatch repair (MMR) genes, was found to play an important role in conferring resistance to alkylating agents-temozolomide (TMZ) in malignant glioma. This study aims to investigate whether genetic variations in MSH6 gene are associated with the survival outcomes in patients with malignant glioma. Each exon of the MSH6 gene was sequenced, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis was performed using 74 tumor tissues from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients.

Dietary factors associated with dental erosion: a meta-analysis.

Background: Some diet factors are risk factors for dental erosion.

Methods: We performed computer searches of PubMed, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, CALIS, et al., to search for studies investigating risk factors for dental erosion.

Design, synthesis and molecular docking studies of sinomenine derivatives.

In order to search for drugs with excellent anti-inflammatory activities, a series of novel sinomenine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their inhibition activities against NF-κB activation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Compared with the natural parent sinomenine, compounds 2a-w showed higher activity, while compounds 1a-o showed similar activity against NF-κB. Moreover, a molecular model for the binding between compound 2v and the active site of p50 was provided on the basis of the computational docking results.

Long-term exposure to imatinib reduced cancer stem cell ability through induction of cell differentiation via activation of MAPK signaling in glioblastoma cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) was shown to harbor therapy-resistant cancer stem cells that were major causes of recurrence. PDGFR (platelet-derived growth factor receptor) and c-Kit (stem cell factor receptor) signaling play important roles in initiation and maintenance of malignant glioma. This study demonstrated that long-term culture with imatinib mesylate, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor against PDGFR and c-Kit resulted in reduced cancer stem cell ability in glioblastoma cells through cell differentiation.

Metabolic activation and major protein target of a 1-benzyl-3-carboxyazetidine sphingosine-1-phosphate-1 receptor agonist.

1-{4-[(4-Phenyl-5-trifluoromethyl-2-thienyl)methoxy]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid (MRL-A) is a potent sphingosine-1-phosphate-1 receptor agonist, with potential application as an immunosuppressant in organ transplantation or for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. When administered orally to rats, radiolabeled MRL-A was found to undergo metabolism to several reactive intermediates, and in this study, we have investigated its potential for protein modification in vivo and in vitro. MRL-A irreversibly modified liver and kidney proteins in vivo, in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

The lin-4 microRNA targets the LIN-14 transcription factor to inhibit netrin-mediated axon attraction.

miR-125 microRNAs, such as lin-4 in Caenorhabditis elegans, were among the first microRNAs discovered, are phylogenetically conserved, and have been implicated in regulating developmental timing. Here, we showed that loss-of-function mutations in lin-4 microRNA increased axon attraction mediated by the netrin homolog UNC-6. The absence of lin-4 microRNA suppressed the axon guidance defects of anterior ventral microtubule (AVM) neurons caused by loss-of-function mutations in slt-1, which encodes a repulsive guidance cue.

Synthesis and antifungal activities of glycosylated derivatives of the cyclic peptide fungicide caspofungin.

Diseases caused by systemic fungal infections have become a significant clinical problem in recent decades. A series of glycosyl derivatives of the approved cyclic peptide antifungal drug caspofungin conjugated with β-D-glucopyranose, β-D-galactopyranose, β-D-xylopyranose, β-L-rhamnopyranose, β-maltose and β-lactose units were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as new potential antifungal drugs. The compounds were obtained by coupling the corresponding glycosyl amines to the free primary amino groups of caspofungin through a bifunctional glutaryl linker.

Comparison of risk factors for recurrent respiratory infections between urban and rural preschool children in Yiwu, China.

Background: Many studies have shown an association between the risk of increased recurrent respiratory infections and socioeconomic and fostering factors, but often only a few risk factors have been studied. This study aimed to identify and compare such factors between urban and rural preschool children.

Methods: Case control studies were conducted in Yiwu urban and rural areas respectively in Zhejiang Province.