Association between heavy metal levels and acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Few studies have examined the relationship between the amounts of heavy metal and stroke incidence. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between levels of heavy metals, including Pb, Hg, As, and Cd, in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Methods: We selected patients with first-ever AIS onset within 1 week as our study group.

[Research on the effect of biological glue on augmenting the viscosity of tissue engineering retinal nerve scaffolds].

To evaluate the adhesion effect of tissue engineering retinal nerve scaffolds modified with biological glue. Experimental study. To fabricate a biological glue by blending laminin, collagen Ⅳ, entactin and HSPG(2) with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) buffer solution, scaffolds were then modified with the biological glue of various concentration levels (10 μl/cm(2), 20 μl/cm(2), 30 μl/cm(2) and 40 μl/cm(2)).

Alpha 1-antitrypsin inhibits microglia activation and facilitates the survival of iPSC grafts in hypertension mouse model.

This study was conducted to investigate the use of Alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) to inhibit microglia activation in chronic hypertension model and provide a permissive environment for stem cell transplantation. Chronic ocular hypertension of C57BL/6 mice using magnetic microbead injection was induced 3 weeks prior to iPSCs transplantation. The ocular hypertension model was assessed histologically and intraocular pressure was measured.

Electroretinogram evaluation for the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy by short-pulse pattern scanning laser panretinal photocoagulation.

Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) is a standard method for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) treatment. However, conventional PRP usually significantly damages the retinal structure and vision. Retinal pattern scanning laser (PASCAL) photocoagulation has emerged as a new technique with fewer complications for the treatment of retinal disorders.

Safety and efficacy of nilotinib in routine clinical practice in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic or accelerated phase with resistance or intolerance to imatinib: results from the NOVEL study.

Background: Nilotinib, a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), is approved for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in many countries, including Taiwan. Though a number of controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of nilotinib, studies assessing the safety and efficacy of nilotinib in routine clinical practice are limited.

Methods: The current study was an open-label, single-arm study conducted across 12 centers in Taiwan in adult patients with CML in chronic or accelerated phase with confirmed Ph+ chromosome (or BCR-ABL) and resistant or intolerant to one or more previous TKIs.

Neuroprotective effect of gold nanoparticles composites in Parkinson's disease model.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Although drugs and surgery can relieve the symptoms of PD, these therapies are incapable of fundamentally treating the disease. For PD patients, over-expression of α-synuclein (SNCA) leads to the death of dopaminergic neurons.

Characteristics of medical disputes arising from dental practice in Guangzhou, China: an observational study.

Objectives: Doctor-patient conflict is a phenomenon that has become one of the major social problems affecting China's medical system today. This study aimed to analyse the nature of medical dispute incidents arising from dental practice, discover the related factors that may have incited such disputes and explore measures whereby the incidents of patients' conflicts towards dentists can be reduced.

Methods: A survey conducted in six public hospitals in Guangzhou, one of the largest cities in China, showed that more than two million patients received dental treatment between 2008 and 2012.

Cervical Cancer HeLa Cell Autocrine Apoptosis Induced by Coimmobilized IFN-γ plus TNF-α Biomaterials.

Using external methods to induce the death of cancer cells is recognized as one of the main strategies for cancer treatment. Research indicated that TNF-α is frequently used in tumor biotherapy while IFN-γ can directly inhibit tumor cell proliferation. In our study, TNF-α and IFN-γ were coimmobilized on polystyrene material (PSt) or FeO-oleic acid nanoparticles (NPs).

Increased Overall Survival and Decreased Cancer-Specific Mortality in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated by Transarterial Chemoembolization and Human Adenovirus Type-5 Combination Therapy: a Competing Risk Analysis.

Background: In analyzing cancer patient survival data, the problem of competing risks is often ignored. This study used a competing risk approach to evaluate the efficacy of recombinant human type-5 adenovirus (H101) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated by transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods: In this retrospective study, 476 patients were included.

Acupuncture for vertebrobasilar insufficiency vertigo: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Vertebrobasilar insufficiency vertebrobasilar (VBIV) is a serious nerve disease and many old people suffer from it. Acupuncture has been widely applied in the treatment of VBIV. However, to our knowledge, there has been no systematic review or meta-analysis of randomized controlled trails regarding the effectiveness of this treatment.

A proline deletion in IFNAR1 impairs IFN-signaling and underlies increased resistance to tuberculosis in humans.

Type I interferons (IFN), best known for their anti-viral functions, have been shown to impair host resistance to intracellular bacteria in mice. However, the precise role of type I IFN signaling in bacterial infection in humans is unclear. Here, we show that genetic variation in the human IFNAR1 gene is associated with decreased susceptibility to tuberculosis and an increased risk of viral hepatitis in Chinese populations.

Can catheter ablation reduce the incidence of thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation?: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is a major risk factor for thromboembolic events, especially ischemic stroke. Catheter ablation is an effective method to maintain sinus rhythm in patients with AF. Although some observational studies have shown a relatively lower stroke rate after catheter ablation, whether catheter ablation can reduce the thromboembolic risk in patients with AF remains unclear.

Herpes zoster in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: Clinical features, complications and risk factors.

Herpes Zoster (HZ) is reported as the most prevalent viral infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical features, complications, and potential risk factors of HZ in patients with SLE from Southern China. A retrospective study was performed among patients with SLE admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yet-Sen University (Guangzhou, China) between 2009 and 2013.

Bacillus spore-based oral carriers loading curcumin for the therapy of colon cancer.

Oral drug delivery has attracted substantial attention due to its advantages over other administration routes. Bacillus spores, as oral probiotic agents, are applied widely. In this paper, a novel Bacillus spore-based oral colon targeted carrier loading curcumin was developed for colon cancer treatment.

Nuclear G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor (GPR30) predicts poor survival in patients with ovarian cancer.

Objective To demonstrate the correlation between nuclear and cytoplasmic G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor (GPR30) expression and clinicopathological features and outcome in patients with ovarian cancer. Methods Nuclear and cytoplasmic GPR30 expressions were determined using immunohistochemistry to identify the intracellular location in tissues from patients with ovarian cancer. Data were correlated with clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes.

Synthesis of protocatechuic acid grafted chitosan copolymer: Structure characterization and in vitro neuroprotective potential.

Excessive free radicals can cause oxidative damage to human tissues, which results in a variety of diseases. Therefore, the development of antioxidant materials is one of the great projects in biomedical field. In this work, antioxidant protocatechuic acid (PCA) monomers were grafted onto chitosan (CS) backbones to develop a PCA grafted chitosan (PCA-g-CS) antioxidant copolymer via the method of free radical-induced grafting reaction.

Overexpression of ELF3 facilitates cell growth and metastasis through PI3K/Akt and ERK signaling pathways in non-small cell lung cancer.

ELF3 is one of the member of transcription factors from E-twenty-six family, its role varies in different types of cancer. However, the role and specific mechanisms of ELF3 in the development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) still remains largely unknown. In our study, ELF3 was observed to be upregulated in NSCLC tissues compared to the corresponding normal lung tissue at mRNA and protein levels, and its expression level was correlated with the overall survival of patients with NSCLC.

Combined Phycocyanin and Hematoporphyrin Monomethyl Ether for Breast Cancer Treatment via Photosensitizers Modified FeO Nanoparticles Inhibiting the Proliferation and Migration of MCF-7 Cells.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), combining the laser and photosensitizers to kill tumor cells, has the potential to address many current medical requirements. In this study, magnetic FeO nanoparticles were first employed as cores and modified with oleic acid (OA) and 3-triethoxysilyl-1-propanamine. Then, the photosensitizers phycocyanin (PC) and hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME), which might be able to stimulate the cell release of reactive oxygen species after the irradiation of a near-infrared (NIR) laser, were grafted on the surface of such nanoparticles.

Preparation and characterization of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles carrying insulin and gallic acid for insulin oral delivery.

Although nanoparticles carriers for oral delivery of insulin have been researched for many years, this method still fails to solve issues with toxicity, biocompatibility, and degradability in the organism. We therefore developed an innovative conjugation system to solve this problem. Nano hydroxyapatite (HAP) particles were used as the core, then polyethylene glycol (PEG) was wrapped onto the surface of hydroxyapatite, and, finally, insulin (INS) and gallic acid (GA) were conjugated with PEG.

The Prognostic Significance of Notch1 and Fatty Acid Binding Protein 7 (FABP7) Expression in Resected Tracheobronchial Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Purpose: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the trachea and bronchus is a rare tumor. Although MYB-NFIB oncogene fusion and Notch1 mutation have been identified in ACC, little is known about the expression and clinical significance of Notch1 and its target gene fatty acid binding protein 7 (FABP7) in tracheobronchial ACC.

Materials And Methods: Primary tracheobronchial ACC that were resected between 1998 and 2014 were identified through the pathology and oncology database from five thoracic oncology centers in China.

Facile synthesis of N-rich carbon quantum dots from porphyrins as efficient probes for bioimaging and biosensing in living cells.

N-rich metal-free and metal-doped carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have been prepared through one-step hydrothermal method using tetraphenylporphyrin or its transition metal (Pd or Pt) complex as precursor. The structures and morphology of the as-prepared nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectra. Three kinds of nanocomposites show similar structures except for the presence of metal ions in Pd-CQDs and Pt-CQDs indicated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Preparation and Characterization of Hypoglycemic Nanoparticles for Oral Insulin Delivery.

Polymeric nanoparticles have been widely investigated as insulin delivery systems for oral administration. However, the toxic nature of many artificial polymers hampers their effective application, creating a demand for the further exploration of alternative natural polymers. In addition, ethnobotanical research has reported that over 800 plant species have a hypoglycemic function, some of which are polymers.

Occurrence and indicators of pharmaceuticals in Chinese streams: A nationwide study.

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are excreted by humans and animals and released into the aquatic environment through wastewater, which can have potential negative impacts on ecological systems. To conduct a nationwide investigation of the occurrence of PhACs in water resources in China, an analytical procedure based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and LC-MS/MS was used to measure 45 PhACs in surface water samples from a network of 29 rivers across 31 provinces in China in 2014 and 2015. PhACs were prevalent in all sampled streams.

Role of Purified Anthocyanins in Improving Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Chinese Men and Women with Prediabetes or Early Untreated Diabetes-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

In vitro and animal studies suggest that purified anthocyanins have favorable effects on metabolic profiles, but clinical trials have reported inconsistent findings. Furthermore, no study has been specifically conducted among individuals with prediabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether purified anthocyanins could improve cardiometabolic risk factors in Chinese adults with early untreated hyperglycemia.

Regulatory effects of the AMPKα-SIRT1 molecular pathway on insulin resistance in PCOS mice: An in vitro and in vivo study.

In order to preliminarily explore the correlation between the AMPKα-SIRT1 pathway and insulin resistance and reproductive function in PCOS mice and find the pathogenesis molecular mechanism and potential therapeutic target of PCOS, we carried out in vitro study of human granulosa KGN cells and in vivo study of PCOS mouse model which was constructed with DHEA, and AICAR and Compound C were applied. We have found that SIRT1 and AMPKα expression in KGN cells gradually decreased as DHEA concentration increased; Mice of the PCOS model were in an obvious status of IR (P < 0.05).