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Background: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genetic diversity and pre-treatment drug resistance (PDR) are major barriers to successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). In China, sexual intercourse is the most frequent route of HIV-1 transmission. However, few studies have analyzed PDR and transmission networks in detail among individuals in China with acute HIV-1 infection and their sexual contacts. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Baoding City, Hebei Province, China from 2019–2020. CD4 T cell counts and viral loads were assessed and a HIV-1 genotypic PDR assay was developed in-house. Transmission networks were visualized using Cytoscape with a threshold genetic distance of 0.015 among HIV-1 subtypes. Results: From 139 newly diagnosed and drug-naïve individuals with HIV-1, 132 pol gene sequences were obtained and revealed eight HIV-1 subtypes. Circulating recombinant form (CRF)01_AE was the most frequent subtype (53.0%, 70/132) followed by CRF07_BC (26.5%, 35/132), B (13.6%, 18/132), unique recombinant forms (2.3%, 3/132), CRF55_01B (1.5%, 2/132), CRF103_01B (1.5%, 2/132), CRF65_cpx (0.8%, 1/132), and C (0.8%, 1/132). A total of 47 pol gene sequences were used to generate 10 molecular transmission networks. The overall prevalence of PDR was 7.6% and that of PDR to non-nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors was 6.1%. Of three transmission networks for PDR, two were closely associated with Beijing and Tianjin, while another was restricted to sequences determined in this study. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that during acute HIV-1 infection, PDR is transmitted in dynamic networks. This suggests that early detection, diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment are critical to effectively control HIV-1 spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the effect of servant leadership on service attitude to understand its mediation mechanism, on the basis of self-determination theory. We used valid, reliable scales to measure servant leadership and basic needs satisfaction, and a self-designed scale to measure service attitude among 160 public servant–citizen paired dyads from the Chinese Government Affairs Center. Results show that servant leadership had a positive influence on service attitude, and that the basic needs of autonomy and competence played mediating roles, but the basic need of relatedness did not. Our results affirm self-determination theory and empirically show the different roles of psychological needs satisfaction. Future research prospects and implications for civil service reforms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) plays an important role in the development of bone and cartilage, which functions as bone growth factor by interacting with its cognate type-I and type-II receptors (BMPR-I and BMPR-II) through conformational wrist epitope and linear knuckle epitope, respectively. Here, the intermolecular interaction between the BMP2 knuckle epitope and BMPR-II is investigated at structural level, from which a binding hotspot region is identified that is primarily responsible for the epitope recognition by BMPR-II. A KEH peptide covering the hotspot region exhibits a weak binding affinity (Kd = 78.6 ± 13.5 µM) to BMPR-II and a moderate osteogenic activity on human BMSCs (ALP = 135 ± 17% and 164 ± 21% at peptide concentrations 0.01 and 0.1 µg/ml, respectively). Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) is used to guide the rational optimization of KEH peptide. The strategy focuses on systematic design of the peptide's non-key residues to derive a series of its promising mutants, which are then evaluated rigorously by using dynamics simulation and energetic analysis. Consequently, totally ten designed peptide mutants are tested in vitro at molecular and cellular levels; most of them are determined to exhibit an increased or comparable affinity/activity relative to the native KEH peptide and knuckle epitope. In particular, the KEH-p7 peptide is found to have a satisfactory profile with Kd = 9.6 ± 1.2 µM and ALP = 178 ± 24% and 235 ± 32% at peptide concentrations 0.01 and 0.1 µg/ml, respectively. Structural analysis reveals a complicated noncovalent network of hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic forces and stacking interactions across the complex interface of BMPR-II with KEH-p7, conferring both stability and specificity to the receptor–peptide interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most existing antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are α-helical and cationic that exhibit typical amphipathic feature to facilitate efficient interaction with bacterial outer membranes. However, short α-helix is unstable in water, and thus naturally occurring α-helical AMPs are generally long and structurally complex. Here, we attempt to perform de novo design of very simple AMPs with only a single-turn α-helix by using hydrocarbon-stapling technique, which can effectively constrain peptide conformation into helical form. The designed AMPs are heptapeptides that have an additional residue at each end of pentapeptides, the theoretical minimum to define an α-turn. Net charge, amphipathicity, sequence pattern and amino acid composition are systematically considered and examined based on the helical wheel of standard α-helical heptapeptide, which derive a series of potential one-turn unstapled AMP candidates with strong hydrophobic moment and a good balance between cationicity and hydrophobicity. Structural analysis suggests that, however, these designed AMPs cannot spontaneously fold into α-helical conformation, with helicity < 50%. An all-hydrocarbon bridge is stapled across the 2nd and 6th residues of several selected heptapeptides to arbitrarily force their α-helical propensity. Circular dichroism spectroscopy demonstrates that the stapling can largely enhance the helical content of these heptapeptides. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals that, as compared to unstapled peptides, the stapled peptides can more efficiently penetrate into the membrane surface of a lipid bilayer model and swiftly move across the hydrophilic surface layer. Susceptibility test reveals that the stapling can considerably improve the antibacterial potency of designed peptides against both the antibiotic-sensitive and methicillin-resistant S. aureus; permeabilization assay confirms that the stapled peptides generally have a higher permeability on E. coil outer membrane than their unstapled counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social well-being in communities has received little research attention, particularly regarding the impact of community satisfaction on social well-being. Thus, we examined the link between community satisfaction and social well-being in the Chinese cultural context, and investigated whether sense of community mediates this relationship. We collected survey data from 572 residents living in various communities in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and used regression analysis to test the hypotheses. Results reveal that community satisfaction was positively related to social well-being, and sense of community played a mediating role in this relationship. Our findings provide a culture- and location-specific perspective of community satisfaction and social well-being in China and highlight the importance of social well-being in community studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Four nucleosides were identified from NZ native Hericium sp. for the first time. • The extraction, optimized by orthogonal array design, was simple and efficient. • Optimized conditions involved ultrasonic treatment in water at pH 3.8 for 30 min. • The developed HPLC-DAD method was reliable with excellent validation results. • Total content of nucleosides was 10.7 mg/g, as higher as 1% of the dry weight. Abstract To identify and quantify the content of nucleoside compounds in the New Zealand native edible mushroom Hericium sp., a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadrupole detector mass method was developed and validated. Four nucleoside substitutes, namely cytidine, uridine, adenosine, and guanosine, were identified. Optimization was conducted to study the effect of extraction method type, solvent pH, and extraction time. The optimal conditions were obtained using ultrasonic treatment in water at pH 3.8 for 30 min. For chromatographic separation, a C 18 column was applied using 0.1% formic acid (pH 3.4) as the mobile phase with detection at 260 nm. The total concentration of the four nucleoside compounds was high, at 10.7 mg/g dry weight, indicating a potential benefit for human health. The excellent validation results based on selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy and robustness revealed the reliability of the newly developed analytical method, which could be applied routinely in research laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the number of international students has been increasing. These students are from different parts of the world, with Asians comprising the largest bulk and Americans and Europeans tailing behind. A stratum of the population is composed of those taking up graduate degrees. The present study probes the psychological and socio-cultural adaptation of international graduate students in the cities of Shanghai and Wuhan in China. Specifically, it examines the influence of national and institutional policies on their adaptation. Using mixed methods design, the study had 302 foreign graduate students as survey participants. Fourteen of them participated in the interviews. Correlation results showed that policies have a significant influence on adaptation. The interviews also illuminated insights on how policies have affected their adaptation in different ways. Given these findings, the study implicates the need to review and formulate policies to facilitate the adaptation of international graduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of vaginal infection caused by Candida species has considerably increased over the past two decades. Candida albicans is the main cause of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC); however, non- albicans Candida (NAC) species, such as Candida glabrata and Candida tropicalis , are now frequently identified in VVC patients. Although the vaginal microbiome (VMB) was well studied in Candida albicans -associated VVC patients, the fungal influence on bacterial communities of NAC species-associated VVC and potential microbial interplay contributing to VVC pathology remain elusive. We characterized VMB via Candida albicans and NAC species-associated VVC patients, as Candida albicans (CA, n = 16), Candida glabrata (CG, n = 16), Candida tropicalis (CT, n = 4), and recruiting healthy (CON, n = 20) women as references of dysbiosis and eubiosis. The bacterial diversity of the vagina in the CG group significantly declined. Further, all VVC patients have a higher abundance of Lactobacillus iners , especially for the CG group. Meanwhile, the predicted functions in all VVC are toned which may be associated with a disruption in the bacterial network. In conclusion, according to the taxonomic analysis, we found that the vaginal microbiome in C. glabrata -associated VVC women is different from that of other Candida species-associated VVC women, implying a different pathogenesis. • Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common infectious disease that tends to recur. • Different Candida infections have different clinical features and recurrence rates. • Vaginal microbiome (VMB) is different among different Candida infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical ventilation can improve hypoxemia, but can also cause the so-called ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), an analogue of natural double-strand RNA virus, can induce lung inflammation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether moderate tidal volume mechanical ventilation (MTV) augments poly(I:C)-induced lung injury, and if so, the mechanism responsible for it. Two µg/g poly(I:C) were instilled intratracheally in C57BL/6J wide type (WT) mice. They were then randomized to MTV (10 ml/kg tidal volume) or spontaneous breathing. Lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected 4 h later for various measurements. Our results showed that MTV did not cause significant injury in normal lungs, but augmented poly(I:C)-induced lung injury. The expression level of WNT-induced secreted protein 1 (WISP1) was consistent with lung injury, and the amplification of lung injury by MTV could be alleviated by anti-WISP1 antibody treatment. MTV further increased poly(I:C)-induced integrin β3 expression in the lung. We performed coimmunoprecipitation, which showed there was an interaction between WISP1 and β3. WISP1 significantly increased poly(I:C)-induced TNF-α production in macrophages isolated from WT mice, but not in macrophages isolated from β3 knockout mice. Cotreatment with WISP1 and poly(I:C) markedly increased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) in macrophages. Pretreating macrophages with an ERK inhibitor, U0126, dose-dependently antagonized the synergistic effect of WISP1 on poly(I:C)-induced TNF-α release. In conclusion, MTV exaggerates poly(I:C)-induced lung injury in a WISP1- and integrin β3-dependent manner, involving, at least in part, the activation of the ERK pathway. The WISP1-integrin β3 pathway could be a novel therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LC3 is widely used marker for macroautophagy assays. After translation pro-LC3 is processed by Atg4 to expose C-terminal glycine residue for downstream conjugation reactions to accomplish the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II. SDS-PAGE based Western blot (Wb) is generally utilized to quantify LC3-II levels where the LC3-I band migrates slower than LC3-II. We found that pro-human LC3B migrated at similar rate as LC3B-II in SDS-PAGE. The carboxyl-terminal five amino acids, particularly Lysine122 and Leucine123 of human LC3B play a major role in the faster migration of unprocessed LC3B, rendering it indistinguishable from LC3B-II in Wb assays. The unique faster migration of unprocessed LC3B than LC3B-I is also revealed in mouse LC3B, rat LC3B and rat LC3 but not in human LC3C. Our findings for the first time define pro-LC3 migration patterns for LC3 family member from human, mouse and rat species in SDS-PAGE. These findings provide a reference for pro-LC3 band patterns when Atg4 function is inhibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p62 is constitutively degraded by autophagy via its interaction with LC3. However, the interaction of p62 with LC3 species in the context of the LC3 lipidation process is not specified. Further, the p62-mediated protein aggregation’s effect on autophagy is unclear. We systemically analyzed the interactions of p62 with all known Atg proteins involved in LC3 lipidation. We find that p62 does not interact with LC3 at the stages when it is being processed by Atg4B or when it is complexed or conjugated with Atg3. p62 does interact with LC3-I and LC3-I:Atg7 complex and is preferentially recruited by LC3-II species under autophagic stimulation. Given that Atg4B, Atg3 and LC3-Atg3 are indispensable for LC3-II conversion, our study reveals a protective mechanism for Atg4B, Atg3 and LC3-Atg3 conjugate from being inappropriately sequestered into p62 aggregates. Our findings imply that p62 could potentially impair autophagy by negatively affecting LC3 lipidation and contribute to the development of protein aggregate diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glick-Fiske's () Ambivalent Sexism Inventory(ASI) and a new Gender-Role Ideology in Marriage (GRIM) inventory examine ambivalent sexism toward women, predicting power-related, gender-role beliefs about mate selection and marriage norms. Mainland Chinese, 552, and 252 U.S. undergraduates participated. Results indicated that Chinese and men most endorsed hostile sexism; Chinese women more than U.S. women accepted benevolent sexism. Both Chinese genders prefer home-oriented mates (women especially seeking a provider and upholding him; men especially endorsing male-success/female-housework, male dominance, and possibly violence). Both U.S. genders prefer considerate mates (men especially seeking an attractive one). Despite gender and culture differences in means, ASI-GRIM correlations replicate across those subgroups: Benevolence predicts initial mate selection; hostility predicts subsequent marriage norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L. Rhoades and R. Eisenberger (2002) reported the meta-analytic finding of a highly statistically significant relation between perceived organizational support (POS) and performance but concluded that the reviewed studies' methodology allowed no conclusion concerning the direction of the association. To investigate this issue, the authors assessed POS and extra-role performance 2 times, separated by a 3-year interval, among 199 employees of an electronic and appliance sales organization. Using a cross-lagged panel design, the authors found that POS was positively associated with a temporal change in extra-role performance. In contrast, the relation between extra-role performance and temporal change in POS was not statistically significant. These findings provide evidence that POS leads to extra-role performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This is the first study of lipophilic mycochemicals in H. novae-zealandiae. • Two compounds unique to Hericium Chen et al., 2019a , 2019b , hericenone C and hericene B were identified. • Three compounds were isolated as hericene B, ergosterol and ergosterol peroxide. • An HPLC-DAD method was developed to quantify hericene B for the first time. • The content of hericene B was 28.53 mg/g DW (nearly 3%) of H. novae-zealandiae. Hericium novae-zealandiae is a native mushroom consumed by indigenous Māori people in New Zealand. The lipophilic mycochemicals of the mushroom were isolated using a normal column chromatography combined with a preparative HPLC. Structural characterisation based on spectroscopic methods, namely UV, MS, NMR and single crystal XRD have identified three lipophilic compounds as hericene B (a compound unique to Hericium), ergosterol and ergosterol peroxide. Following this, an HPLC-DAD method was developed and validated to quantify the hericene B and ergosterol. The method showed excellent selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy and robustness. The content of hericene B was determined as 28.53 mg/g by dry weight of H. novae-zealandiae (approximately 3%). This discovery indicates the potential utilisation of H. novae-zealandiae as a natural source of hericene B. Current research revealed for the first time, the lipophilic constituents of H. novae-zealandiae and the method development for quantification of hericene B in the above species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that formal mentoring support plays a vital role in protégés' creativity. The psychological mechanisms linking formal mentoring support to protégés' creativity and its boundary conditions, however, are less clear. To fill this gap, this study aims to examine how and when formal mentors exert their impact on protégés' creativity, drawing upon a self‐regulatory perspective. By using 231 ongoing mentor–protégé dyads in China, our results indicate that protégés' feedback seeking from mentors mediates the relationship between formal mentoring support and protégés' creativity. Furthermore, we found that the chronic promotion focus of protégés plays a significant moderating role in the relationships between formal mentoring support and protégés' feedback seeking from mentors, and between feedback seeking from mentors and protégés' creativity, as well as the association between formal mentoring support and protégé creativity via feedback seeking from mentors. Those relationships tend to be stronger when protégés have high levels of chronic promotion focus. Some implications for theory and organizational practices are discussed, as well as suggestions for further areas of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Kaempferitrinis (KF) is a bioactive flavonoid and possesses numerous pharmacological activities. However, whether KF affects the activity of human liver cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes remains unclear. Objective: This study investigates the effects of KF on eight major CYP isoforms in human liver microsomes (HLMs). Materials and methods:In vitro, HLMs were used to investigate the inhibitory effects of KF (100 μM) on the eight human liver CYP isoforms (i.e., 1A2, 3A4, 2A6, 2E1, 2D6, 2C9, 2C19, and 2C8), and corresponding probe substrates were used. Enzyme kinetic studies (0–50 μM of KF) were conducted to determine the inhibition mode of KF on CYP enzymes. Results: The results showed that KF inhibited the activity of CYP1A2, 3A4, and 2C9, with IC50 values of 20.56, 13.87, and 14.62 μM, respectively, but that other CYP isoforms were not affected. Enzyme kinetic studies showed that KF was not only a noncompetitive inhibitor of CYP3A4, but also a competitive inhibitor of CYP1A2 and 2C9, with Ki values of 7.11, 10.24, and 7.58 μM, respectively. In addition, KF is a time-dependent inhibitor for CYP3A4 with KI/Kinact value of 10.85/0.036 min/μM. Discussion: The in vitro studies of KF with CYP isoforms indicate that KF has the potential to cause pharmacokinetic drug interactions with other co-administered drugs metabolized by CYP1A2, 3A4, and 2C9. Conclusion: It is recommended that KF should not be used with other drugs metabolized by CYP1A2, 3A4, and 2C9. Further clinical studies are needed to evaluate the significance of this interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread in more than 100 countries and regions around the world, raising grave global concerns. COVID-19 has a similar pattern of infection, clinical symptoms, and chest imaging findings to influenza pneumonia. In this retrospective study, we analysed clinical and chest CT data of 24 patients with COVID-19 and 79 patients with influenza pneumonia. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the temperature, systolic pressure, cough and sputum production could distinguish COVID-19 from influenza pneumonia. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the clinical features are 0.783 and 0.747, and the AUC value is 0.819. Univariate analysis demonstrates that nine CT features, central–peripheral distribution, superior–inferior distribution, anterior–posterior distribution, patches of GGO, GGO nodule, vascular enlargement in GGO, air bronchogram, bronchiectasis within focus, interlobular septal thickening, could distinguish COVID-19 from influenza pneumonia. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the CT features are 0.750 and 0.962, and the AUC value is 0.927. Finally, a multivariate logistic regression model combined the variables from the clinical variables and CT features models was made. The combined model contained six features: systolic blood pressure, sputum production, vascular enlargement in the GGO, GGO nodule, central–peripheral distribution and bronchiectasis within focus. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the combined features are 0.87 and 0.96, and the AUC value is 0.961. In conclusion, some CT features or clinical variables can differentiate COVID-19 from influenza pneumonia. Moreover, CT features combined with clinical variables had higher diagnostic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway is considered an attractive approach for the alleviation of inflammatory diseases. Sepsis is characterized by systemic inflammation and widespread organ injury, especially that in the lung. In the present study, we explored the effects of an α7nAChR agonist, PNU-282987, on sepsis-induced lung injury and investigated the mechanisms of PNU-282987 in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in peritoneal macrophages. Sepsis was induced in C57BL/6 mice via cecal ligation puncture (CLP). Fifty mice were randomly divided into five groups: The sham group treated with vehicle, the sham group treated with PNU-282987, the CLP group treated with vehicle, and the CLP group treated with PNU-282987 (1 mg/kg) 1 h before or 2 h after surgery. All mice were sacrificed at 12 or 24 h after CLP. Both pre- and post-CLP treatment with PNU-282987 significantly attenuated sepsis-induced lung injury and the release of IL-6 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Pre-treatment with PNU-282987 also inhibited sepsis-increased TNF-α and IL-6 production, while post-CLP treatment only inhibited IL-6 production in the lung tissue. Neither pre- nor post-CLP treatment with PNU-282987 affected IL-6 release in the serum. Furthermore, pretreatment with PNU-282987 resulted in reductions in TNF-α and IL-6 release in a dose- and time-dependent manner and decreased the phosphorylation levels of p38, JNK and ERK under LPS conditions in peritoneal macrophages. Our results demonstrate that activation of α7nAChR alleviates sepsis-induced lung injury; this effect is associated with the suppression of inflammatory responses via the MAPK pathway, suggesting that α7nAChR is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical ventilation (MV) can augment sepsis-induced organ injury. Previous studies indicate that human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have immune-modulatory effect. We hypothesize that human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (hADSCs) could attenuate MV and sepsis-induced organ injury. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomized to five groups: Sham group; MV group; cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) group; CLP + MV group; and CLP + MV + hADSC group. Anesthetized mice were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture surgery. The mice then received mechanical ventilation (12 ml/kg), with or without the intervention of hADSCs. The survival rate, organ injury of the liver and kidney, total protein and cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and histological changes of the lung and liver were examined. The level of IL-6 in BALF was measured by ELISA. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to analyze mRNA of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). hADSC treatment increased survival rate of septic mice with MV. hADSCs attenuated dysfunction of the liver and kidney and decreased lung inflammation and tissue injury of the liver and lung. IL-6 level in BALF and TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression in the tissue of the lung, liver, and kidney were significantly reduced by hADSC treatment. MV with conventional tidal volume aggravates CLP-induced multiple organ injuries. hADSCs inhibited the compound injuries possibly through modulation of immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Dexmedetomidine has become a popular additive for regional anesthesia. Aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of this additive on the duration of postoperative analgesia and possible adverse events in pediatrics undergoing orchidopexy or lower abdominal surgery. Methods The literature databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized, controlled trials (RCTs). Odds ratio (OR), weighted mean difference (WMD), and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the RevMan software, version 5.2, for data synthesis and statistical analysis, which in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Results Six RCTs were selected for this meta-analysis, involving a total of 328 pediatric patients. There was a significant longer duration of caudal analgesia (time to first analgesic requirements) in patients receiving dexmedetomidine with CA compared with CA alone (WMD: −8.21 h; 95% CI: −11.40 to −5.02; P < 0.00001). Side effects in these two groups were comparable (OR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.51-2.04; P = 0.95). Subgroup analysis indicated there was no significant difference in hemodynamic changes during operation (WMD: 1.78; 95% CI: −3.20 to 6.77; P = 0.48) and the emergence time (time from the end of surgery to opening the eyes on calling) after surgery (WMD: 0.47 min; 95% CI: −5.27 to 6.22; P = 0.87). Conclusions Dexmedetomidine as an additive to local anesthetic provides a significantly longer postoperative analgesia with comparable adverse effects and hemodynamic changes, when compared to local anesthetics alone. There were insufficient data of the effects of different concentrations of dexmedetomidine; further studies are required to explore this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender-based structural power and heterosexual dependency produce ambivalent gender ideologies, with hostility and benevolence separately shaping close-relationship ideals. The relative importance of romanticized benevolent versus more overtly power-based hostile sexism, however, may be culturally dependent. Testing this, northeast US ( N = 311) and central Chinese ( N = 290) undergraduates rated prescriptions and proscriptions (ideals) for partners and completed Ambivalent Sexism and Ambivalence toward Men Inventories (ideologies). Multiple regressions analyses conducted on group-specific relationship ideals revealed that benevolent ideologies predicted partner ideals, in both countries, especially for US culture’s romance-oriented relationships. Hostile attitudes predicted men’s ideals, both American and Chinese, suggesting both societies’ dominant-partner advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitiligo is a common depigmentary disease characterized as diagnosis simplicity and cure difficulty in view of the ambiguity of etiology, thus novel and effective treatments are urgently needed. Paeoniflorin, the major active compound extracted from the root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall , a traditional Chinese medicine, has been validated pharmacological properties such as antioxidant stress, a theory participating in the occurrence of vitiligo, but the effect on melanogenesis is still unclear. In this study, melanosythesis effect of paeoniflorin and the potential mechanism were evaluated. We found that treatment with paeoniflorin at the concentration of 10 μg/ml significantly increased melanin content and intracellular tyrosinase activity of human melanocytes, in accordance with the elevation of protein levels of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1). In addition, we also investigated that paeoniflorin promoted phosphorylation of cAMP-response element binding (CREB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) without affecting p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). These results demonstrated that paeoniflorin had a synergistic effect on normal human melanocytes via ERK/CREB pathway with up-regulation of MITF and TRP-1, enhancing melanin synthesis. Meanwhile, the milder pathological changes in vitiligo mice treat with paeoniflorin also confirmed its potential in treating vitiligo. To sum up, we suggest that paeoniflorin may be a potential medicine of vitiligo treatment in clinical. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury is a life-threatening inflammatory response caused by severe infection. Toll-like receptors in alveolar macrophages (AMΦ) recognize the molecular constituents of pathogens and activate the host's innate immune responses. Numerous studies have documented the importance of TLR-TLR cross talk, but few studies have specifically addressed the relationship between TLR4 and TLR3. We explored a novel mechanism of TLR3 up-regulation that is induced by LPS-TLR4 signaling in a dose- and time-dependent manner in AMΦ from C57BL/6 mice, while the LPS-induced TLR3 expression was significantly reduced in TLR4−/− and Myd88−/− mice and following pretreatment with a NF-κB inhibitor. The enhanced TLR3 up-regulation in AMΦ augmented the expression of cytokines and chemokines in response to sequential challenges with LPS and Poly I:C, a TLR3 ligand, which was physiologically associated with amplified AMΦ-induced PMN migration into lung alveoli. Our study demonstrates that the synergistic effect between TLR4 and TLR3 in macrophages is an important determinant in acute lung injury and, more importantly, that TLR3 up-regulation is dependent on TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB signaling. These results raise the possibility that bacterial infections can induce sensitivity to viral infections, which may have important implications for the therapeutic manipulation of the innate immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]