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Aim: Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO) is responsible for the progression of the kynurenine pathway, which has been implicated in the pathophysiology of inflammation-induced depression. It has been reported that asperosaponin VI (ASA VI) could play a neuroprotective role through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. In this study, we examined the antidepressant effect of ASA VI in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice and further explored its molecular mechanism by looking into the microglial kynurenine pathway. Methods: To generate the model, LPS (0.83 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to mice. The mice received ASA VI (10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, and 80 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before LPS injection. Depressive-like behaviors were evaluated based on the duration of immobility in the forced swim test. Microglial activation and inflammatory cytokines were detected by immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, and ELISA. The TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and the expression of IDO, GluA2, and CamKIIβ were also measured by western blotting. Results: ASA VI exhibited significant antidepressant activity in the presence of LPS on immobility and latency times in the forced swim test. The LPS-induced activation of microglia and inflammatory response were inhibited by ASA VI, which showed a dose-dependent pattern. TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway also was suppressed by ASA VI in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of LPS-treated mice. Furthermore, ASA VI inhibited the increase in IDO protein expression and normalized the aberrant glutamate transmission in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex caused by LPS administration. Conclusion: Our results propose a promising antidepressant effect for ASA VI possibly through the downregulation of IDO expression and normalization of the aberrant glutamate transmission. This remedying effect of ASA VI could be attributed to suppress microglia-mediated neuroinflammatory response via inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers in the united kingdom typically spend, on average, £33 billion/year for electricity, of which a significant portion (21% in 2017) is paid to distribution companies for delivering electricity to customer premises. To protect consumers' interest, Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets), the energy regulator in the United Kingdom, is actively reforming network charges so that they remain usable for the purpose of facilitating the industry?s transition to lowcarbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Robust circadian rhythms are increasingly recognized as essential to good health. Adult cancer patients with dysregulated circadian activity rhythms (CAR) experience greater fatigue, lower responsiveness to chemotherapy, and shorter time to relapse. There is scant research describing circadian rhythms and associated outcomes in children with cancer. As part of a larger study examining whether a cognitive-behavioral intervention could preserve sleep in children and adolescents with central nervous system cancers hospitalized for high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT), this study aimed to compare CAR of these children to published values and to investigate the relationship between CAR and fatigue.Methods: Participants aged 4-19 years wore an actigraph throughout their hospitalization (5 days). From activity counts recorded by actigraphy, six CAR variables were calculated: amplitude, 24-h autocorrelation (r24), dichotomy index (I < O), interdaily stability (IS), intradaily variability (IV), and acrophase. Parent-reported child fatigue and child/adolescent self-reported fatigue measures were collected daily.Results: Thirty-three participants were included. Three CAR variables (amplitude, r24, and I < O) showed dysregulation compared to published values. Older age was significantly associated with later acrophase and greater dysregulation of all other CAR variables. Controlling for age, more dysregulated amplitude (p = 0.001), r24 (p = 0.003), IS (p = 0.017), and IV (p = 0.001) were associated with higher parent-reported fatigue; more dysregulated IV (p = 0.003) was associated with higher child-reported fatigue.Conclusions: Participants demonstrated dysregulated CAR during hospitalization for HDCT. Greater dysregulation was associated with greater fatigue. Research on circadian dysregulation and its relationship to health-related outcomes in children with cancer, and interventions to support circadian rhythmicity, is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deterioration of Russia-US relations as a consequence of the Ukraine crisis and growing tensions in US-China relations have given rise to the perception that China–-Russia relations are an actual or incipient alliance. However, the alliance elements in China-Russia relations have never been systematically defined and empirically assessed, which makes assessing alliance dynamics in these important bilateral relations difficult. This article develops and applies a set of empirical criteria for an alliance to define how closely the post-Cold War China-Russia military relations have approached the alliance condition. It demonstrates that China and Russia have created strong institutional foundations for an alliance, and now only minor steps are necessary for a formal and functioning military alliance to materialize. However, the occurrence of such steps is not yet guaranteed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BVMD) is a hereditary retinal disease characterized by the bilateral accumulation of large egg yolk-like lesions in the sub-retinal and sub-retinal pigment epithelium spaces. Macular degeneration in BVMD can begin in childhood or adulthood. The variation in the age of onset is not clearly understood. The present study characterized the clinical characteristics of two Chinese patients with either juvenile-onset BVMD or adult-onset BVMD and investigated the underlying genetic variations. A 16-year-old male (Patient 1) was diagnosed with juvenile-onset BVMD and a 43-year-old female (Patient 2) was diagnosed with adult-onset BVMD. Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were performed, including best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp examination, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, fundus fluorescein angiography imaging and Espion electrophysiology. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes collected from these patients, their family members, and 200 unrelated subjects within in the same population. The 11 exons of the bestrophin-1 (BEST1) gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and directly sequenced. Both patients presented lesions in the macular area. In Patient 1, a heterozygous mutation c.903T>G (p.D301E) in exon 8 of the BEST1 gene was identified. This mutation was not present in any of the unaffected family members or the normal controls. Polymorphism phenotyping and the sorting intolerant from tolerant algorithm predicted that the amino acid substitution D301E in bestrophin-1 protein was damaging. In Patient 2, a single nucleotide polymorphism c.1608C>T (p.T536T) in exon 10 of the BEST1 gene was identified. These findings expand the spectrum of BEST1 genetic variation and will be valuable for genetic counseling and the development of therapeutic interventions for patients with BVMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pancreatic cancer, pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma (PASC) containing both ductal adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma in the same tumour represents ∼4% of the total incidence. To date, the genomic features of this mixed tumour are still unknown. We analysed the genomes of 17 PASCs and 34 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs), and showed that PASC carried highly enriched TP53 mutations and 3p loss as compared with PDAC. We also showed that adenomatous and squamous components of PASC harboured comparable genomic alterations, suggesting that the two cellular components develop from the same progenitor cancer cells. Our study has updated genomic knowledge to help with understanding mixed cancers of the pancreas. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinases (SERKs), a subfamily of receptor-like kinases, showed important roles in plant response to abiotic and biotic stresses in addition to embryogenesis and organogenesis in numerous plant species. In the present study, three orthologs ofSERKgenes (HvSERK1/2/3) were isolated from barley, and their expression patterns duringin vitroculture of microspores as well as their responses to different stresses including salinity and powdery mildew were characterized. Sequence analysis suggested that threeHvSERKgenes were highly conserved in the grass family. Subcellular localization showed the HvSERK1 protein located on the plasma membrane. TheHvSERK1transcript was up-regulated during the microspore culture period, suggesting its roles in microspore embryogenesis.HvSERK1andHvSERK3showed the highest expression level in the leaves; however no difference was detected forHvSERK2expression in different plants’ tissues. Under salt stress, all threeHvSERKgenes were quickly induced in microspore-derived embryogenic calli, whereas onlyHvSERK1was up-regulated in the roots of barley seedlings. Moreover, onlyHvSERK2was induced in the barley leaves upon powdery mildew inoculation. These results suggest that barleySERKgenes may participate in barley microspores’ development and plant response toward salt and fungal stress, and the function of them has some evolutionary changes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Historical distribution characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their carriers (i.e., organic matter and mineral particles) in the sediment cores of the Yangtze Estuary were investigated, with emphasis laid on the role of the Yangtze River. Grain size component of sediments (clay, silt, and sand) and organic carbon (black carbon and total organic carbon) in the sediment cores were markedly affected by water flux and sediment discharge of the Yangtze River. Qualitative and quantitative analysis results showed that sands and black carbon acted as the main carriers of PAHs. The sedimentation of two-ring to three-ring PAHs in the estuary had significant correlations with water flux and sediment discharge of the Yangtze River. The relative lower level of the four-ring and five-ring to six-ring PAHs concentrations appeared around the year 2003 and remained for the following several years. This time period accorded well with the water impoundment time of the Three Gorges Reservoir. The decreased level of two-ring to three-ring PAHs occurred in the year 1994, and the peak points around the year 2009 indicated that PAHs sedimentation in the estuary also had close relationship to severe drought and flood in the catchments. The findings presented in this paper could provide references for assessing the impacts of water flux and sediment discharge on the historical deposition of PAHs and their carriers in the Yangtze Estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successive sediment suspensions often happen in estuary, yet little research has probed into the difference in the release behaviors of organic compounds among different suspensions. This study took polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as typical organic contaminants and investigated the release behaviors between two successive suspensions with a particle entrainment simulator (PES). Results showed that successive sediment suspensions lowered the concentration of dissolved PAHs in the overlying water via facilitating the re-adsorption of dissolved PAHs onto the suspended particles. Fast-release and slow-release periods of PAHs were successively observed in the both suspensions. The concentration changes of dissolved PAHs in the second suspension were generally similar with but hysteretic to those in the first suspension. More vigorous desorption and re-absorption of PAHs were induced in the second suspension. Successive sediment suspensions obviously decreased the concentrations of mineral composition and organic matters in the overlying water, which significantly affects multiphase distribution of PAHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article lists the authors of the abstracts selected for the 2016 abstract collection of the professional organization American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) along with the abstract pages and numbers, including Marissa Adams, Sandra Blackburn and Julie Cessna.

Debates about whether China's rise poses a threat or an opportunity for Taiwan have settled into a realist assumption that Beijing will continue to upset the balance of power and a liberal approach that believes the benefits of economic interdependence are leading to greater gains. Missing from this debate is a nuanced consideration of how Taiwan's policy elites view themselves and their position in cross-Strait relations. Taiwan's decision makers' views are deeply affected by, and interact with, factors and institutions on and beyond the island. This article offers a model of political processes – the staying power of the status quo and order of movement – as a possible route towards an explanation for Taiwan's position on cross-Strait negotiations. The conclusion is that the status quo position – de facto but not de jure independence – is becoming more entrenched with time. Taiwan's colours of partisanship, Blue and Green, are blending into Aquamarine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The optical model of a Cassegrain optical antenna with a confocal double-parabolic reflector structure has been designed, and the propagation characteristics of a hollow laser beam, which could avoid the loss of energy caused by the subreflector center reflection in the optical antenna, has been researched in this paper. By detailed analysis and numerical calculations of a receiving Cassegrain antenna with different deflection angles, the coupling efficiency curve and 3-D distributions of the receiving light intensity for different inclined angles have been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on ideas associated with 'two-level games' to focus on the continuing difficulty within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN) of reconciling national responsibilities and regional commitments. Using this perspective to examine three areas included in the remit of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community-migrant workers, 'haze', and disaster management-it disaggregates some of the complex domestic and international pressures that can lead to varying regional outcomes. Whereas problems with regional cooperation are often simply laid at the door of recalcitrant governments or inadequate regional institutions, this lens foregrounds a different source of difficulties, in which significant domestic constituencies severely constrain what governments can offer to the region. Conceptualizing the national/regional interface in this way, however, also suggests ways through some of the sticking points. This lens therefore has implications for policy, advocacy, ASEAN's communication efforts, and its routine collaborative undertakings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations and speciation of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the sediments of the nearshore area, river channel and coastal zones of the Yangtze estuary, China, were systematically investigated in this study. The concentrations of all heavy metals except Ni in the sediments of the nearshore area were higher than those of the river channel and coastal zones. In the nearshore area, the concentrations of most heavy metals except Hg in the sediments of the southern branch were higher than those of the northern branch because of the import of pollutants from the urban and industrial activities around. When compared with the threshold effect level (TEL) and geochemical background levels, Cr, Ni and As accumulated and posed potential adverse biological effects. The speciation analysis suggested that Cd, Pb and Zn in the sediments of the three zones showed higher bioavailability than the other heavy metals, and thus posed ecological risk. Significant correlations were observed among Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn ( r > 0.77) in the nearshore area, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb ( r > 0.85) in the river channel and Ni, Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn ( r > 0.75) in the coastal zone. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the discharge of unban and industrial sewage, shipping pollution and the properties of the sediments (contents of Fe, Mn, Al, TOC, clay and silt) dominated the distribution of heavy metal in the nearshore area, river channel and coastal zones of the Yangtze estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Layered microcapsules for Daunorubicin Loading and Release as Well as in Vitro and in Vivo Studies," by Baosan Han and colleagues, that was publshed in the October 12, 2007 issue.

Copyright of Social Sciences in China is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Russia and China are two big players in the international system, both of which share interests and concerns and compete for preponderance and affirmation at the regional level. As a framework for political-military cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) frames this relationship in an institutional setting that might be understood as a tool for rapprochement between Moscow and Beijing or as a strategic manoeuvre for balancing an unbalanced international order. Thus the following question arises: is Russian-Chinese cooperation discourse mere political rhetoric or does it imply the intentional forging of a goal-orientated partnership? The relationship between Russia and China in political and security terms reveals identifiable common concerns, such as counter-terrorism or the fight against organised crime, while simultaneously masking the underpinning drivers, based on realpolitik dynamics and image construction on both sides (power projection, regional affirmation). This means that the strategic partnership dialogue between Moscow and Beijing is still far from being real. Realpolitik considerations rise above institutional goals, showing the lines of (dis)continuity in discourse and practice in this bilateral relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the author index for the November 3, 2005 issue of "Respirology."

Long-term childhood cancer survivors' (CCS) quality of life can be impacted by late effects such as cognitive difficulties. Especially survivors of CNS tumors are assumed to be at risk, but reports of cognitive tests in CCS with survival times >25 years are scarce. We assessed planning ability, a capacity closely related to fluid intelligence, using the Tower of London. We compared 122 CNS tumor survivors, 829 survivors of other cancers (drawn from a register-based sample of adult long-term CCS), and 215 healthy controls (using sex-specific one-way ANOVAs and t-tests). Associations of CCS' planning ability with medical and psychosocial factors were investigated with a hierarchical linear regression analysis. Mean planning ability did not differ between CCS and controls. However, female CNS tumor survivors performed worse than female survivors of other cancers and female controls. CNS tumor survivors of both sexes had a lower socioeconomic status, and fewer of them had achieved high education than other survivors. In the regression analysis, lower status and anxiety symptoms were associated with poor planning, suggesting possible mediators of effects of disease and treatment. The results indicate the necessity to contextualize test results, and to include cognitive and psychological assessments into aftercare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]