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The inner structure of a material is called its microstructure. It stores the genesis of a material and determines all the physical and chemical properties. However, the microstructure is highly complex and numerous image defects such as vague or missing boundaries formed during sample preparation, which makes it difficult to extract the grain boundaries precisely. In this work, we address the task of grain boundary detection in microscopic image processing and develop a graph-cut based method called Fast-FineCut to solve the problem. Our algorithm makes two key contributions: (1) An improved approach that incorporates 3D information between slices as domain knowledge, which can detect the boundaries precisely, even for the vague and missing boundaries. (2) A local processing method based on overlap-tile strategy, which can not only solve the "chain scission" problem at the edge of images, but also economize on the consumption of computing resources. We conduct experiments on a stack of 296 slices of microscopic images of polycrystalline iron (1600 × 2800) and compare the performance against several state-of-the-art boundary detection methods. We conclude that Fast-FineCut can detect boundaries effectively and efficiently., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Fabrication of highly efficient all thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) through solution-process still remains a big challenge. Here, two encapsulated TADF molecules with a small singlet-triplet energy gap (Δ E ST ) and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) were designed and synthesized as yellow emitters for solution-processed WOLEDs. The high current, power, and external quantum efficiencies of 41.6 cd A -1 , 30.4 lm W -1 , and 17.3% were achieved for the solution-processed all-fluorescence WOLEDs with a single-emission layer. In contrast, even with the same Δ E ST and PLQY, the corresponding unencapsulated parent emitters will account for nearly 50% loss of the potential device efficiency. This is for the first time that the small molecular TADF blue host and TADF yellow guest are used to construct solution-processed all-fluorescence WOLEDs, which exhibit high efficiency comparable with most of the vacuum-deposited all-fluorescence white devices. These results not only demonstrate the great potential of TADF emitters in achieving highly efficient solution-processed WOLEDs, but also testify the key role of molecular encapsulation in reducing polar-exciton quenching and enhancing electroluminescence performance.

Glucose metabolic reprogramming from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis is one of the hallmarks of cancer development. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is essential for electron transport in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and for antioxidant defense. Here, we investigated the role of a key factor in CoQ10 synthesis, prenyldiphosphate synthase subunit 2 ( PDSS2 ), in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumorigenesis. PDSS2 was frequently downregulated in HCC tissues and was significantly associated with poorer HCC prognosis ( P = 0.027). PDSS2 downregulation was a prognostic factor independent of T status and stage ( P = 0.028). Downregulation of CoQ10 was significantly correlated with downregulation of PDSS2 in HCC tumor tissues ( R = 0.414; P < 0.001). Of the six different splicing isoforms of PDSS2, the five variants other than full-length PDSS2 showed loss of function in HCC. Reintroduction of full-length PDSS2 into HCC cells increased CoQ10 and mitochondrial electron transport complex I activity and subsequently induced a metabolic shift from aerobic glycolysis to mitochondrial respiration in cells. Reintroduction of PDSS2 also inhibited foci formation, colony formation in soft agar, and tumor formation in nude mice. Knockdown of PDSS2 induced chromosomal instability in the MIHA immortalized human liver cell line. Furthermore, knockdown of PDSS2 in MIHA induced malignant transformation. Overall, our findings indicate that PDSS2 deficiency might be a novel driving factor in HCC development. Significance: Downregulation of PDSS2 is a driving factor in hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis. Cancer Res; 78(16); 4471-81. ©2018 AACR ., (©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.)

POTE ankyrin domain family, member G (poteg) belongs to POTE family. The POTE family is composed of many proteins which are very closely related and expressed in prostate, ovary, testis, and placenta. Some POTE paralogs are related with some cancers. Here we showed that down-regulation of POTEG was detected in about 60% primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tumor tissues. Clinical association studies determined that POTEG down-regulation was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation, lymph nodes metastasis and TNM staging. Kaplan-Meier analysis determined that POTEG down-regulation was associated with poorer clinical outcomes of ESCC patients (P = 0.026). Functional studies showed that POTEG overexpression could suppress tumor cell growth and metastasis capacity in vitro and in vivo. Molecular analyses revealed that POTEG downregulated CDKs, leading to subsequent inhibition of Rb phosphorylation, and consequently arrested Cell Cycle at G1/S Checkpoint. POTEG overexpression induced apoptosis by activating caspases and PARP, and regulating canonical mitochondrial apoptotic pathways. On the other side, POTEG inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition and suppressed tumor cell metastasis. In conclusion, our study reveals a functionally important control mechanism of POTEG in esophageal cancer pathogenesis, suggesting potential use in the ESCC intervention and therapeutic strategies., (© 2018 The Authors. Molecular Carcinogenesis Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Thermophilic proteins are useful for the detailed investigation of thermostability because they function efficiently at high temperatures. Comparison of the amino acid sequences and three-dimensional structures of mesophilic and thermophilic 1,4-α-glucan branching enzymes (GBEs) shows that the amino acid sequence of the last 26 residues at the C-terminal end of the GBE from Geobacillus thermoglucosidans STB02 (GBE Gt , GenBank accession no. KJ660983) are not conserved, and that their 3-dimensional structure is flexible. These residues appear to be modified based upon a balance between flexibility and rigidity that is related to thermostability. In this study, a truncated mutant of GBE Gt made by removing the last 26 residues from its C-terminal end was found to have increased thermostability and solubility, compared with the wild-type enzyme. Additionally, truncation of a portion of the C-terminus resulted in a decrease in aqueous stability. The circular dichroism spectra of GBE Gt and GBE Gt ΔC were also found to be different. These results suggest that deletion of flexible residues at the C-terminal end of GBE Gt , which are located on the surface of the enzyme, enhances the thermostability of the enzyme without significantly compromising its enzymatic activity., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the predictive clinical and imaging factors associated with pulmonary metastasis in pulmonary nodules (PNs) ≤10 mm in patients with primary extrapulmonary malignancy (PEPM) on initial CT as well as the inter-nodular imaging features in the non-solitary PNs patients, to make a more reliable diagnosis and appropriate management of the PNs at an earlier stage after detection., Materials and Methods: 161 patients with PNs ≤10 mm were reviewed from April 2013 to December 2013. The nature of PNs were determined on the interval change in imaging features on serial CT images (158 patients) and histologically proven (three patients). Independent predictors of changed PNs on initial CT were examined by multivariate regression analysis., Results: 36.6% of patients developed interval change in nodules size. The average interval of the first change was 65.0 days (29-144 days). Tumor staging of III (P = 0.011) and IV (P < 0.001), the nodules number of 2-4 (P = 0.016), 5-9 (P < 0.001) and 10-20 (P < 0.001), the nodules margin of being smooth (P = 0.001) and slight lobulated (P < 0.001), and nodules with no near short strips (P = 0.001) were significant predictors of changed PNs. For patients with non-solitary PNs, 40.2% had PNs with identical imaging features, the incidence rate of change of which (74.3%) was significantly higher compared with that of varied features (32.7%), P < 0.001; and 94.3% of patients had all nodules per patient showing consistent prognosis., Conclusions: For PNs ≤10 mm in patients with PEPM on baseline CT, the morphological characteristics and primary malignancies stage could differentiate the majority of the PNs. The interval for further CT evaluation of uncertain PNs should be early at 1-3 months after detection, and increased alert is needed for the possibility of pulmonary metastasis when an early interval change was detected.

Metal ions are essential for the performance of metal-dependent proteins and are known to be important for thermophilic proteins containing a large number of charged residues. The performance of thermophilic proteins may be influenced by metal ions through electrostatic interactions between the metal ions and charged residues. In this study, we investigated the effects of metal ions and glycerol on the activity and stability of the thermophilic 1,4-α-glucan branching enzyme (abbreviated GBE; EC 2.4.1.18) from G. thermoglucosidasius STB02. The results indicate that K + or Na + enhance the performance of GBE, and that the addition of glycerol further increases the thermostability of GBE. The effects of K + or Na + with glycerol on the structure of GBE were further investigated using intrinsic fluorescence spectra and far-UV circular dichroism spectra. The results show that more secondary structural elements are preserved by the addition of K + or Na + in the presence of glycerol. The improved maintenance of GBE structural elements after incubation may arise from electrostatic interactions introduced by the added salt, and glycerol provides a hydrophobic environment that strengthens these electrostatic contacts. This provides a useful perspective for understanding the strategy of thermophilic adaptation used by proteins with plenty of charged residues., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The molecular aggregation and exciton-polaron interaction of the host-guest system were successfully restricted by efficient molecular encapsulation. The solution-processed blue and green TADF OLEDs have been realized with external quantum efficiencies above 23% by employing the encapsulated TADF host and guest as emission layers.

1,4-α-Glucan branching enzyme (GBE, EC 2.4.1.18) is used to increase the number of α-1,6 branch points in starch and glycogen. On the basis of a multiple sequence alignment of the GBEs from a variety of bacteria, residue 349 (Geobacillus thermoglucosidans STB02 numbering) in region III is generally methionine in bacteria with higher identity, while it is threonine or serine in bacteria with lower identity. Four mutants (M349T, M349S, M349H, and M349Y) were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis and characterized. M349T and M349S showed 24.5% and 21.1% increases in specific activity compared with that of wild-type GBE, respectively. In addition, M349T and M349S displayed 24.2% and 17.6% enhancements in the α-1,6-glycosidic linkage ratio of potato starch samples, respectively. However, M349Y displayed a significant reduction in activity. Moreover, the mutations at M349 have a negligible effect on substrate specificity. Thus, M349T and M349S are more suitable for industrial applications than wild-type GBE.

Here, we conveniently designed and synthesized a self-host thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter, which can not only form a uniform thin film through wet-process, but also allow the subsequently deposition of electron transporting layer (ETL) by orthogonal solvent. By using this self-host material as emitter, the all-solution-processed multilayer TADF organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) was successfully fabricated. The maximum current, power and external quantum efficiencies of this nondoped device are 46.3 cd A -1 , 39.3 lm W 1- and 15.5%, respectively, which are much higher than the values of all-solution-processed OLEDs based on tranditional fluorescence and even comparable to the TADF devices with vacuum-deposited ETL. Moreover, the device maintains the high efficiency of 42.9 cd A -1 and 39.0 cd A -1 at the luminance of 100 cd m -2 for display and 1000 cd m -2 for practical lighting. The high efficiency and small efficiency roll-off of the all-solution-processed fluorescent OLEDs can be attributed to the superiority of the newly designed self-host TADF emitter, which possesses the perfect electroluminescent property and sufficient solvent resistance at the same time.

A self-host thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) dendrimer POCz-DPS for solution-processed nondoped blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was designed and synthesized, in which the bipolar phosphine oxide carbazole moiety was introduced by alkyl chain to ensure balanced charge transfer. The investigation of physical properties showed that the bipolar dendrons not only improve the morphological stability but also restrain the concentration quenching effect of the TADF emissive core. The spin-coated OLEDs featuring POCz-DPS as the host-free blue emitter achieved the highest external quantum efficiency (7.3%) and color purity compared with those of doped or nondoped devices based on the parent molecule DMOC-DPS, which indicates that incorporating the merits of encapsulation and bipolar dendron is an effective way to improve the electroluminescent performance of the TADF emitter used for a solution-processed nondoped device.

Self-host thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials have recently been identified as effective emitters for solution-processed nondoped organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, except for the carbazole unit, few novel dendrons have been developed to build self-host TADF emitters. This study reports two self-host blue materials, tbCz-SO and poCz-SO, with the same TADF emissive core and different dendrons. The influence of the peripheral dendrons on the photophysical properties and electroluminescent performances of the self-host materials were systematically investigated. The transient fluorescence and electroluminescence spectra indicated that the diphenylphosphoryl carbazole units could effectively encapsulate the emissive core to reduce the concentration quenching effect and to enhance reverse intersystem crossing. By using tbCz-SO and poCz-SO as host-free blue emitters, the performance of the solution-processed nondoped OLED device demonstrated that a more balanced charge transfer from the bipolar dendrons would offer a better current efficiency of 10.5 cd A -1 and stable color purity with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage units of (0.18, 0.27)., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A two-dimensional (2D) water quality model was established to determine the response of water quality variables and submerged aquatic vegetation biomass to load reduction from watershed inflows and enclosure aquaculture in Honghu Lake in China. Results showed that the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads from upstream discharge were the major external loads in the lake, accounting for 70% and 63% of the total loads, respectively. Scenario simulation results indicated that 93.2% of the lake area in summer (August) and 89.5% in autumn (November) could reach the protective targets (TN<1.0mg/L) under 50% reduction of inflow TN loads. Meanwhile, 58.7% of the lake area in summer and 63.1% in autumn could reach the protective targets (TP<0.05mg/L) under 50% reduction of aquaculture areas. The mass budget results of TN and TP showed that TP immobilisation was larger than TN immobilisation. The immobilisations for TN and TP from July to September were higher than those of other months under the combined impacts of increasing runoff during the wet period, phytoplankton bloom and water residence time. The 2D water quality model provided a relevant example for assessing the effects of runoff and aquaculture activities and served as scientific support for lake management to improve water quality in large shallow macrophytic lakes., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Competing Interests: Compliance with ethical standards Funding This study was supported by the Science and technology project of Guangdong province (Grant No. 2009B030801151). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. Conflict of interest The authors who have taken part in this study declared that they do not have anything to disclose regarding funding or conflict of interest with respect to this manuscript. Ethical approval The institutional ethics review board approved this retrospective study and waived the need for informed consent.

Objective: To determine MR imaging features and staging accuracy of neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) of the uterine cervix with pathological correlations., Methods: Twenty-six patients with histologically proven NECs, 60 patients with squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), and 30 patients with adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix were included. The clinical data, pathological findings, and MRI findings were reviewed retrospectively. MRI features of cervical NECs, SCCs, and adenocarcinomas were compared, and MRI staging of cervical NECs was compared with the pathological staging., Results: Cervical NECs showed a higher tendency toward a homogeneous signal intensity on T2-weighted imaging and a homogeneous enhancement pattern, as well as a lower ADC value of tumour and a higher incidence of lymphadenopathy, compared with SCCs and adenocarcinomas (P < 0.05). An ADC value cutoff of 0.90 × 10 -3  mm 2 /s was robust for differentiation between cervical NECs and other cervical cancers, with a sensitivity of 63.3 % and a specificity of 95 %. In 21 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy, the overall accuracy of tumour staging by MR imaging was 85.7 % with reference to pathology staging., Conclusion: Homogeneous lesion texture and low ADC value are likely suggestive features of cervical NECs and MR imaging is reliable for the staging of cervical NECs., Key Points: • Cervical NECs show a tendency of lesion homogeneity and lymphadenopathy • Low ADC values are found in cervical NECs • MRI is an accurate imaging modality for the cervical NEC staging.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of head-neck cancer with a distinguishable geographic and racial distribution worldwide. Increasing evidence supports that the accumulation of additional genetic and epigenetic abnormalities is important in driving the NPC tumorigenic process. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between EIF5A2 (Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A2) expression status and NPC clinical outcomes., Methods: The expression status of EIF5A2 was investigated in the NPC tissue microarray. Tissues were from 166 NPC patients staging II-IV, collected between 1999 and 2005. All patients were administered 2-3 cycles of DDP (cisplatin) + 5-Fu (5-fluorouracil) induction therapy and then treated with a uniform conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy. Cell motility assay, tumor growth assay and cytotoxicity assay were performed on the EIF5A2 overexpressed cells and control cells. siRNA was also used in the in vitro studies., Results: Positive staining of EIF5A2 was observed in 85.4 % (105/123) informative tumor cases. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that EIF5A2 was an independent prognostic marker of poor overall survival (OS) (P = 0.041), failure-free survival (FFS) (P = 0.029), and distant failure-free survival (D-FFS) (P = 0.043) in patients with locoregionally advanced NPC patients treated with cisplatin + 5-Fu chemoradiotherapy. The forced expression of EIF5A2 in NPC cells enhanced the cells' motility and growth ability. Knock-down of EIF5A2 in NPC cells decreased the cell's motility and growth ability. Our results also demonstrated that EIF5A2 overexpression induced chemoresistance of NPC cells to 5-Fu., Conclusions: Our findings suggested that EIF5A2 expression, as examined by immunohistochemistry, could function as an independent prognostic factor of outcomes in NPC patients with cisplatin + 5-Fu chemoradiotherapy. EIF5A2 might be a novel therapeutic target for the inhibition of NPC progress.

A multi-repeated photolithography method for manufacturing an incremental linear scale using projection lithography is presented. The method is based on the average homogenization effect that periodically superposes the light intensity of different locations of pitches in the mask to make a consistent energy distribution at a specific wavelength, from which the accuracy of a linear scale can be improved precisely using the average pitch with different step distances. The method's theoretical error is within 0.01 µm for a periodic mask with a 2-µm sine-wave error. The intensity error models in the focal plane include the rectangular grating error on the mask, static positioning error, and lithography lens focal plane alignment error, which affect pitch uniformity less than in the common linear scale projection lithography splicing process. It was analyzed and confirmed that increasing the repeat exposure number of a single stripe could improve accuracy, as could adjusting the exposure spacing to achieve a set proportion of black and white stripes. According to the experimental results, the effectiveness of the multi-repeated photolithography method is confirmed to easily realize a pitch accuracy of 43 nm in any 10 locations of 1 m, and the whole length accuracy of the linear scale is less than 1 µm/m.

A benzimidazole/phosphine oxide hybrid 1,3,5-tris(1-(4-(diphenylphosphoryl)phenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)benzene (TPOB) was newly designed and synthesized as the electron-transporting component to form an exciplex-type host with the conventional hole-transporting material tris(4-carbazoyl-9-ylphenyl)amine (TCTA). Because of the enhanced triplet energy and electron affinity of TPOB, the energy leakage from exciplex-state to the constituting molecule was eliminated. Using energy transfer from exciplex-state, solution-processed blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) achieved an extremely low turn-on voltage of 2.8 V and impressively high power efficiency of 22 lm W(-1). In addition, the efficiency roll-off was very small even at luminance up to 10 000 cd m(-2), which suggested the balanced charge transfer in the emission layer. This study demonstrated that molecular modulation was an effective way to develop efficient exciplex-type host for high performanced PHOLEDs.

The branching enzyme (EC 2.4.1.18) catalyzes the formation of α-1,6 branch points in starch. In this study, the Geobacillus thermoglucosidans gene-encoding branching enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and the protein was isolated and characterized. G. thermoglucosidans branching enzyme is a thermostable enzyme with an optimal reaction temperature of nearly 60°C and a half-life at 65°C of approximately 1.1 h. The activity of the recombinant enzyme is optimal at pH 7.5, with broad stability between pH 5.5 and 9.0. Its thermostability, relatively broad pH stability and optimal temperature near the temperature at which starch begins to gelatinize may make it easy to use in industrial production. Furthermore, the enzyme is activated by Mg2+, Ba2+, K+ and Na+ in a concentration-dependent manner and dramatically inhibited by Ni2+ and Co2+. Its substrate dependence, using amylopectin as the substrate, could be adequately fitted using the Michaelis-Menten equation, yielding a Km of 0.99 mg/ml. High-performance anion exchange chromatography results showed that the chain length distribution of branching enzyme-treated waxy corn starch is indistinguishable from that of the branching enzyme-treated common corn starch. This enzyme may therefore be a promising tool for the enzymatic modification of starch., (© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Three solution-processable exciplex-type host materials were successfully designed and characterized by equal molar blending hole transporting molecules with a newly synthesized electron transporting material, which possesses high thermal stability and good film-forming ability through a spin-coating technique. The excited-state dynamics and the structure-property relationships were systematically investigated. By gradually deepening the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of electron-donating components, the triplet energy of exciplex hosts were increased from 2.64 to 3.10 eV. Low temperature phosphorescence spectra demonstrated that the excessively high triplet energy of exciplex would induce a serious energy leakage from the complex state to the constituting molecule. Furthermore, the low energy electromer state, which only exists under the electroexcitation, was found as another possible channel for energy loss in exciplex-based phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In particular, as quenching of the exciplex-state and the triplet exciton were largely eliminated, solution-processed blue phosphorescence OLEDs using the exciplex-type host achieved an extremely low turn-on voltage of 2.7 eV and record-high power efficiency of 22.5 lm W(-1), which were among the highest values in the devices with identical structure.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelial malignancy exhibiting a strong geographic preference and a close association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The aim of this study was to investigate the precise mechanism of nasopharyngeal epithelial-to-NPC tumorigenesis and to identify possible biomarkers and targets for therapy., Methods: Proteomic analysis was performed on the immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP69 and the NPC cell line C666., Results: A comparative analysis of total lysates from the cell lines using 2-D gel electrophoresis-mass spectrometry resulted in the identification of 87 different protein spots. The different proteins were grouped into 5 main categories: (i) energy production and general metabolism, (ii) adaptation/stress tolerance, (iii) cell proliferation, (iv) cell structure and (v) epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The detection of metabolism-related proteins indicated that the NPC cells relied on aerobic glycolysis, with reduced use of the citric acid cycle. Glucose uptake and lactate secretion increased in the medium of C666 compared with NP69., Conclusions: The present study revealed that glycolysis was up-regulated in the NPC cell lines compared with nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. A number of molecules involved in metabolism were identified, and further investigations will be needed to validate these potential biomarkers or targets.

Purpose: To investigate the optimal monochromatic energy for artifacts reduction from (125)I seeds as well as image improvement in the vicinity of seeds on monochromatic images with and without metal artifacts reduction software (MARS) and to compare this with traditional 120-kVp images, so as to evaluate the application value of gemstone spectral imaging for reducing artifacts from (125)I seeds in liver brachytherapy., Materials and Methods: A total of 45 tumors from 25 patients treated with (125)I seed brachytherapy in the liver were enrolled in this study. Multiphasic spectral computed tomography (CT) scanning was performed for each patient. After a delay time of 15 s of portal vein phase, a traditional 120-kVp scan was performed, focusing on several planes of (125)I seeds only. The artifact index (AI) in the vicinity of seeds and the standard deviation (SD) of the CT density of region of interest in the outside liver parenchyma were calculated. Artifact appearance was evaluated and classified on reconstructed monochromatic S and 120-kVp images. Image quality in the vicinity of seeds of three data sets were evaluated using a 1-5 scale scoring method. The Friedman rank-sum test was used to estimate the scoring results of image quality., Results: The greatest noise in monochromatic images was found at 40 keV (SD = 27.38, AI = 206.40). The optimal monochromatic energy was found at 75 keV, which provided almost the least image noise (SD = 10.01) and good performance in artifact reduction (AI = 102.73). Image noise and AI reduction at 75 keV was decreased by 63.44 and 50.23%, compared with at 40 keV. Near-field thick artifacts were obvious in all 45 lesions, in 120-kVp images, and 75-keV images, but basically reduced in 75 keV MARS images and artifacts completely invisible in 7 lesions. The number of diagnosable images (score ≥3) was significantly more in the 75-keV MARS group (28/45), and the 75-keV group (22/45) than in the 120-kVp group (11/45) (p < 0.0167 for both). Compared with 120-kVp images alone, 75-keV images plus 75-keV MARS images can increase tumor visibility around seeds and increase the proportion of diagnostic images to 84.4% (38/45)., Conclusion: Spectral CT producing 75-keV MARS images could substantially reduce near-field thick artifacts caused by (125)I seeds and improve image quality, even to a state of being completely free from artifacts. Spectral CT imaging (with and without MARS) can provide more accurate CT images for estimating efficacy after (125)I seed brachytherapy in the liver.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies of the digestive tract in East Asian countries. Multimodal therapies, including adjuvant chemotherapy and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, have become more often used for patients with advanced ESCC. However, the chemotherapy effect is often limited by patients' drug resistance. This study demonstrated that EIF5A2 (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A2) overexpression induced stemness and chemoresistance in ESCC cells. We showed that EIF5A2 overexpression in ESCC cells resulted in increased chemoresistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), docetaxel and taxol. In contrast, shRNAs suppressing eIF5A2 increased tumor sensitivity to these chemotherapeutic drugs. In addition, EIF5A2 overexpression was correlated with a poorer overall survival in patients with ESCC who underwent taxane-based chemotherapy after esophagectomy (P < 0.05). Based on these results, we suggest that EIF5A2 could be a predictive biomarker for selecting appropriate chemo-treatment for ESCC patients and EIF5A2 inhibitors might be considered as combination therapy to enhance chemosensitivity in patients with ESCC.

This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) seed essential oil against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and its mechanism of action. The antifungal activities of the two main constituents, namely carvone and limonene, were also measured. Mycelial growth and sclerotial germination were thoroughly inhibited by dill seed essential oil at the 1.00 μL/mL under contact condition and 0.125μL/mL air under vapor condition. Carvone also contributed more than limonene in inhibiting the growth of S. sclerotiorum. Carvone and limonene synergistically inhibited the growth of the fungus. In vivo experiments, the essential oil remarkably suppressed S. sclerotiorum, and considerable morphological alterations were observed in the hyphae and sclerotia. Inhibition of ergosterol synthesis, malate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase activities, and external medium acidification were investigated to elucidate the antifungal mechanism of the essential oil. The seed essential oil of A. graveolens can be extensively used in agriculture for preventing the oilseed crops fungal disease.

Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferases (CGTases, EC 2.4.1.19) are industrially important enzymes that produce cyclodextrins from starch by intramolecular transglycosylation. In this study, the effects of amino acid residue at position 315 in calcium binding site III (CaIII) on product specificity of CGTase were investigated by replacing Ala315 in the CGTase from Bacillus circulans STB01 with arginine, aspartic acid, threonine, leucine and valine. The cgt gene, which encodes this enzyme, was expressed in B. subtilis WB600 alongside site-directed mutants A315R, A315D, A315T, A315L and A315V. The results showed that CaIII plays an important role in cyclodextrin product specificity. Replacement of Ala315 by charged amino acid residues enhanced β-cyclodextrin specificity, compared with the wild-type CGTase. Mutations A315R and A315D resulted in an approximately 10% increase in β-cyclodextrin activity. Furthermore, under conditions resembling the industrial production processes, the mutants A315R and A315D displayed obvious increases in the production of β-cyclodextrin, indicating they were much more suitable for the industrial production of β-cyclodextrin than the wild-type enzyme. The enhancement of β-cyclodextrin specificity for the mutants might be due to the stability of CaIII by charged amino acid substitutions., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Two soluble bipolar host materials (mCP-BPBI and CP-QPBI), comprising different proportions of hole-transporting carbazole and electron-transporting benzimidazole, were synthesized. Their thermal, physical, and electrochemical properties were characterized. The designated bulky star-shaped structures efficiently suppress the direct intramolecular interaction between the donor and acceptor subunits to give high triplet energies. Through computational studies, varying the ratio of hole- and electron-transporting moieties could significantly change the carrier injection/transporting abilities and charge balance properties of the host materials. Indeed, CP-QPBI with more benzimidazole units shows extremely enhanced current density at the same voltage when compared to mCP-BPBI. The operating voltage of solution-processed phosphorescent light-emitting diodes with CP-QPBI as host were dramatically reduced by ∼3 V compared with the similar devices of mCP-BPBI. At the same time, the power efficiencies were improved for 2-2.5 times at the corresponding voltage. Importantly, both blue and green devices maintain their high efficiencies even at brightness up to 1000 cd m(-2), which clearly demonstrates that the new strategy applied to improve electron-transporting ability and charge-balance property of the solution-processable host material by tuning the ratio of donor and acceptor unit is profitable.

The urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is closely associated with poor prognosis in various aggressive cancers including large-cell lung cancer (LCLC). Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) refers to the unique capability of aggressive tumor cells to mimic the pattern of embryonic vasculogenic networks involving the blood supply in early tumor formation. We demonstrate the statistically positive correlation of uPAR expression with VM formation, metastasis, and poor prognosis of LCLC patients. uPAR(+) cells sorted from the LCLC H460 cell line show higher invasion, migration capacity, and tube structure formation capability on Matrigel compared with uPAR(-) cells. uPAR(+) tumor cells highly expressed vimentin and VE-cadherin; the epithelial marker E-cadherin was low expressed. Higher EMT-regulated protein twist and snail expressions were also observed in these cells. uPAR(+) cells injected subcutaneously into nude mice markedly increased tumor growth, induced VM formation and liver metastasis; by contrast, uPAR(-) cells did not. The data suggest that uPAR expression may predict VM formation, tumor metastasis and poorer prognosis of LCLC patients. The uPAR gene may be used as a novel therapeutic target for inhibiting angiogenesis and metastasis in LCLC., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Three major active polysaccharides isolated from Pholiota nameko (PNPS), including PNPS-1, PNPS-2 and PNPS-3, had been proved to inhibit the maturation of the murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). This paper recognized the affinity bind between PNPS and the five receptors (TLR2, TLR4, CD14, Dectin-1 and Mannose receptor) on BMDCs, using the bio-layer interferometry (BLI)-based biosensor technology developed by ForteBio on Octet RED system (Fortebio, Inc.). From the primary binding experiment, the gradient binding experiment and the inhibition binding experiment between the receptor proteins and PNPS, combined with the binding experiment between PNPS and the BMDCs membranes, we found that PNPS-1, PNPS-2 and PNPS-3 presented strong affinity bind with both TLR2 and Dectin-1 on BMDCs, only PNPS-3 with Mannose receptor. These data confirmed that PNPS could interact with TLR2, Dectin-1 and Mannose receptor that were very important for the affinity bind of these receptors and PNPS, which triggered the further stimulation on BMDCs., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report halogenated pentanidiums as phase-transfer catalysts for the asymmetric alkylation of sulfenate anions to various sulfoxides with high enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) and yields (up to 99%). This approach gives access to enantioenriched heterocyclic sulfoxides that might not be compatible with strong oxidants or organometallic reagents. Computational studies have revealed that the multiple noncovalent interactions such as halogen bonds and nonclassical hydrogen bonds are involved., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

An ideal host material with high triplet energy, suitable HOMO energy level, excellent thermal and electrochemical stability, and bipolar charge carrier transport ability was synthesized. A high external quantum efficiency of 13.7% and a luminance efficiency of 48.2 cd A(-1) with low efficiency roll-off were achieved in solution-processed green electrophosphorescent devices.

Background and Purpose: Lymphoepithelial carcinoma is a rare salivary gland lesion. We retrospectively reviewed CT and MR imaging features of salivary gland lymphoepithelial carcinoma to determine their imaging features and morphologic patterns., Materials and Methods: The clinical data, CT, and MR imaging findings of 28 patients with histologically proved lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the salivary gland were retrospectively reviewed. Morphologic patterns of the lesions were categorized into 3 types on the basis of margin and shape., Results: There were 17 men and 11 women with a mean age of 39.3 years; 96.4% of patients were positive for Epstein-Barr virus both on histologic staining and Epstein-Barr virus serology. Tumors were parotid in 18 patients, submandibular in 8 patients, sublingual in 1 patient, and palatal in 1 patient. Most tumors (57.1%) manifested as a partially or ill-defined mass with a lobulated or plaque-like shape. Homogeneous enhancement was found in 16 patients, while heterogeneous enhancement was found in 12, including 4 patients with intratumoral necrosis. Invasion into adjacent structures was found in 5 patients; 60.7% of patients exhibited abnormal lymph nodes, with nodal necrosis in 3 patients., Conclusions: The characteristic lobulated or plaque-like shape, with a partially or ill-defined margin, of a salivary gland mass associated with ipsilateral lymphadenopathy may suggest a preoperative diagnosis of lymphoepithelial carcinoma., (© 2014 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

The effects of amino acid residue at position 31 in the neighborhood of calcium binding site I (CaI) on product specificity of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.19, CGTase) were investigated by replacing Ala31 in the CGTase from Bacillus circulans STB01 with arginine, proline, threonine, serine and glycine. The results showed that the mutations A31R, A31P, and A31T resulted in the increases in β-cyclodextrin-forming activity and β-cyclodextrin production, indicating that these mutations enhanced β-cyclodextrin specificity of the CGTase. Especially the mutant A31R displayed approximately 26% increase in β-cyclodextrin production with a concomitant 41% decrease in α-cyclodextrin production when compared to the wild-type CGTase. Thus, it was much more suitable for the industrial production of β-cyclodextrin than the wild-type enzyme. The enhanced β-cyclodextrin specificity of the mutants might be a result of stabilizing CaI, which also suggested that CaI might play an important role in cyclodextrin product specificity of CGTase., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Composite Water Quality Identification Index (CWQII) and multivariate statistical techniques were used to investigate the temporal and spatial variations of water quality in Honghu Lake. The aims are to explore the characteristics of water quality trends in annual, monthly, and site spatial distribution and to identify the main pollution factors. The results showed that the values of CWQII increased from 2.0 to 4.0 from the years 2001 to 2005, then decreased from 2006 and kept a balance between 2.0 and 3.0 from 2006 to 2011, indicating that the water quality of Honghu Lake deteriorated from 2001 to 2005 and has gradually improved since 2006, which were likely achieved after water protection measurements taken since 2004. The monthly change rules of water quality were influenced by a superposition of natural processes and human activities. In samples numbered 1-9 from upstream to downstream, the maximum values of CWQII often occurred in sample site 9 while the minimum ones often occurred in sample site 2, indicating that the water quality near the upstream tributary was the poorest and that in the core zone was the best. Incoming water from the trunk canal of the Sihu area upstream was the largest pollution source. The sensitive pollution nutrients were mainly caused by the total nitrogen, followed by the total phosphorus.

Background & Aims: Solid tumors often become hypoxic, leading to activation of hypoxia-response genes. We investigated the effects of overexpression of the hypoxia response genes eIF5A2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)., Methods: We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry analyses to compare expression of eIF5A2 between paired ESCC samples and nontumor esophageal tissues, and fluorescence in situ hybridization to detect gene copy-number alterations. Luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to study interactions between eIF5A2 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α). We determined the effects of eIF5A2 overexpression and knockdown in ESCC cell lines and growth of ESCC xenograft tumors in nude mice., Results: Levels of eIF5A2 messenger RNA and protein were increased in >40% of ESCC samples compared with matched nontumor tissues, along with levels of HIF1α and vascular endothelial growth factor. Increased levels of EIF5A2 were significantly associated with ESCC metastasis to lymph nodes (P < .001) and tissue invasion (P = .037), and shorter survival times of patients (P < .001). Amplification of eIF5A2 was detected in 35.14% of ESCC samples that overexpressed eIF5A2. Hypoxia increased expression of eIF5A2 4- to 8-fold in ESCC cell lines; we observed bidirectional regulation between eIF5A2 and HIF1α. Transient transfection of ESCC cell lines with eIF5A2 increased their migratory and invasive abilities and markers of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and eIF5A2 knockdown or HIFα inhibition reduced these. In mice, xenograft tumors grown from ESCC cells that expressed eIF5A2 formed tumors more rapidly than cells that expressed only vector (controls); they also expressed higher levels of HIF1α and vascular endothelial growth factor, and formed more microvessels than controls. Knockdown of eIF5A2 in ESCC cells with interfering RNAs reduced their growth as xenograft tumors in mice, particularly when mice were given docetaxel or cisplatin., Conclusions: eIF5A2 is overexpressed by gene amplification or hypoxia in ESCCs, and associated with up-regulation of HIF1α, metastasis, and shorter survival times of patients. Increased expression of eIF5A2 increases metastasis and angiogenesis in ESCC via the HIF1α-mediated signaling pathway., (Copyright © 2014 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) has been used in traditional Uighur medicine for its various pharmacological activities. Previous studies have suggested that dill seed essential oil (DSEO) has anti-Candida potential and the mechanism of its action also has been studied. Our study examined whether DSEO induces apoptosis in the human pathogen Candida albicans ATCC 64550. Our results indicate that C. albicans ATCC 64550 cells treated with DSEO show some typical apoptosis characters, such as decrease in adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity, chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, and phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure. The DSEO promoted cytochrome c (cyt c) release and metacaspase activation, which resulted in C. albicans ATCC 64550 apoptosis. L-cysteine prevented the DSEO-induced nuclear fragmentation, PS externalization, and metacaspase activation, thus indicating that the reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an important mediator of DSEO-induced apoptosis. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report the induction of apoptosis of this pathogen with concomitant metacaspase activation by DSEO., (Copyright © 2014 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel alcohol-soluble electron-transport material was designed and synthesized. This material not only possesses a high triplet energy and a low HOMO level but also exhibits excellent electron-transport properties and good film-forming ability. Efficient fully solution-processed multilayer white electrophosphorescent devices have been fabricated by using this alcohol-processable material as an orthogonal electron-transport layer.

Fugitive dust deriving from construction sites is a serious local source of particulate matter (PM) that leads to air pollution in cities undergoing rapid urbanization in China. In spite of this fact, no study has yet been published relating to prediction of high levels of PM with diameters <10 μm (PM 10 ) as adjudicated by the Individual Air Quality Index (IAQI) on fugitive dust from nearby construction sites. To combat this problem, the Construction Influence Index ( Ci ) is introduced in this article to improve forecasting models based on three neural network models (multilayer perceptron, Elman, and support vector machine) in predicting daily PM 10 IAQI one day in advance. To obtain acceptable forecasting accuracy, measured time series data were decomposed into wavelet representations and wavelet coefficients were predicted. Effectiveness of these forecasters were tested using a time series recorded between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2011, at six monitoring stations situated within the urban area of the city of Wuhan, China. Experimental trials showed that the improved models provided low root mean square error values and mean absolute error values in comparison to the original models. In addition, these improved models resulted in higher values of coefficients of determination and AHPC (the accuracy rate of high PM 10 IAQI caused by nearby construction activity) compared to the original models when predicting high PM 10 IAQI levels attributable to fugitive dust from nearby construction sites.

In the study, we investigated the contribution of Ca²⁺ to the thermostability of α-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (α-CGTase) from Paenibacillus macerans , which has two calcium-binding sites (CaI and CaII), and β-CGTase from Bacillus circulans , which contains an additional calcium-binding site (CaIII), consisting of Ala315 and Asp577. It was found that the contribution of Ca²⁺ to the thermostability of two CGTases displayed a marked difference. Ca²⁺ affected β-CGTase thermostability significantly. After Ca²⁺ was added to β-CGTase solution to a final concentration of 5 mM followed by incubation for 120 min at 60 °C, residual activity of β-CGTase was 88.3%, which was much higher than that without Ca²⁺. However, Ca²⁺ had a small contribution to α-CGTase thermostability. Furthermore, A315D and D577K mutations at CaIII could significantly change the contribution of Ca²⁺ to β-CGTase thermostability. These results suggested that the contribution of Ca²⁺ to CGTase thermostability was closely related to CaIII.

This work studied the antifungal mechanism of dill seed essential oil (DSEO) against Candida albicans. Flow cytometric analysis and inhibition of ergosterol synthesis were performed to clarify the mechanism of action of DSEO on C. albicans. Upon treatment of cells with DSEO, propidium iodide penetrated C. albicans through a lesion in its plasma membrane. DSEO also significantly reduced the amount of ergosterol. These findings indicate that the plasma membrane of C. albicans was damaged by DSEO. The effect of DSEO on the functions of the mitochondria in C. albicans was also studied. We assayed the mitochondrial membrane potential (mtΔψ) using rhodamine 123 and determined the production of mitochondrial dysfunction-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) via flow cytometry. The effects of the antioxidant l-cysteine (Cys) on DSEO-induced ROS production and the antifungal effect of DSEO on C. albicans were investigated. Exposure to DSEO increased mtΔψ. Dysfunctions in the mitochondria caused ROS accumulation in C. albicans. This increase in the level of ROS production and DSEO-induced decrease in cell viability were prevented by the addition of Cys, indicating that ROS are an important mediator of the antifungal action of DSEO. These findings indicate that the cytoplasmic membrane and mitochondria are the main anti-Candida targets of DSEO.

By using cDNA microarray analysis, we identified cornulin (CRNN) gene was frequently downregulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In the present study, we investigated the role of CRNN in ESCC development. The results showed that CRNN was frequently downregulated in primary ESCCs in both mRNA level (26/56, 46.4%) and protein level (137/249, 55%), which was significantly associated with lymph node metastases (P=0.027), advanced clinical stage (P=0.039), and overall survival rate (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that the CRNN downregulation was an independent prognostic factor for ESCC. Functional studies with both in vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that CRNN had strong tumor suppressive ability in ESCC cells. The tumor-suppressive mechanism of CRNN was associated with its role in cell cycle arrest at G1/S checkpoint by upregulating expressions of P21(WAF1/CIP1) and Rb. Silencing CRNN expression by RNA interference could effectively inhibit its tumor suppressive effect. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that CRNN is a tumor suppressor gene that plays a critical tumor suppressive role in ESCC.

Objectives: To serially investigate the relationship between vasa vasorum (VV) proliferation and plaque progression in vivo, and the effects of atorvastatin on VV and atherosclerosis as assessed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging., Methods: Carotid atherosclerosis was induced in rabbits with a high-cholesterol diet for 20 weeks and balloon injury. At week 16, following the imaging of the right common carotid arteries by CEUS and IVUS, 20 rabbits were randomised into a control or atorvastatin group (2 mg/kg/day). At week 20, CEUS and IVUS were repeated. Normalised maximal video-intensity enhancement (MVE) was calculated to quantify the density of VV. Plaque volume was determined by IVUS., Results: When compared with the control group, lipid levels were not significantly lower following 4 weeks of atorvastatin administration. The increases in the normalised MVE over time were greater in the control group than in the atorvastatin group (p=0.001). The increase in plaque volume from 16 to 20 weeks was significantly greater in the control group than in the atorvastatin group (p=0.001). There was a positive relationship between changes in normalised MVE and plaque volume (r=0.72, p=0.002)., Conclusions: There was a positive correlation between VV density and plaque progression. Atorvastatin significantly inhibits the development of adventitial VV and progression of atherosclerosis independent of lowering the cholesterol level.

The transformation, composition, and distribution characteristics of nutrients in natural wetlands are significantly affected by human activities, such as large-scale water conservancy projects and agricultural activities. It is necessary to reveal the composing and distribution characteristics of nutrients for elucidating its complex removal and retention mechanisms in natural wetlands. In this study, the composition and the spatial distribution characteristics of nitrogen in a natural wetland in central China were illustrated and analyzed. The self-organizing map (SOM) model was used in this study to assess the water quality dataset of the wetland. The relationships between nitrogen and other water quality parameters were revealed by the visualization function of the SOM model with the pre-processed data; the modeling result was in agreement with the linear correlation analysis. The results indicated that the SOM model was suitable for the assessment of field-scale date of natural wetlands, and finally a potential approach for predicting the nutrients concentrations in natural wetlands was also found.

Cultivated Coptis chinensis inflorescence has been highly valued in Chinese tea production for many years. The main alkaloid compounds in C. chinensis inflorescence ethanolic extracts (CE) were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The detected compounds included jatrorrhizine (4.87 mg/g), coptisine (17.18 mg/g), palmatine (3.32 mg/g), and berberine (31.81 mg/g), as well as columbamine and epiberberine (tentatively identified). CE protective activity against ultraviolet-B (UVB)-induced phototoxicity in a mitochondria model was determined by measuring thiobarbituric acid-reactive substrates, lipid hydroperoxide, conjugated diene, 4-hydroxynonenal, and glutathione. The results showed that CE excellently inhibited UVB-induced lipid peroxidation and glutathione reduction in vitro. This photoprotective effect of CE may be caused by the presence of the abovementioned alkaloid compounds and phenolic compounds that enhances CE antioxidant activity. Therefore, CE possesses potent photoprotective property that may find valuable applications in food industries and in anti-phototoxicity formulations., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A series of carbazolone derivatives and 3-acetylindoles have been achieved via PIFA-mediated intramolecular cyclization of 2-aryl enaminones. This process allows the N-moiety on the side-chain to be annulated to the benzene ring via the metal-free oxidative aromatic C-N bond formation.

Aims of the Study: Meconopsis quintuplinervia, a medicinal herb endemic to the Tibetan region, is used to treat hepatitis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the ethanolic extract of this herb using different assays., Materials and Methods: The antioxidant capacity of Meconopsis quintuplinervia was investigated using various established in vitro systems. An in vivo study of carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced antioxidant activity in mice was also conducted by examining the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH)., Results: The extract showed strong in vitro antioxidant ability. In the in vivo study, CCl(4)-induced oxidative stress caused significant decreases in the SOD, CAT, and GSH levels and a significant increase in the MDA level, most of which were significantly reversed (except for SOD in the liver.) by treatment with the extract and standard Vitamin E., Conclusion: This study clearly indicates that the ethanolic extract of Meconopsis quintuplinervia is a valuable source of natural antioxidants. These findings provide scientific support for the traditional use of this herb as a Tibetan medicine for liver diseases., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aim was to develop a new model of atherosclerosis by FeCl(3)-induced injury to right common carotid arteries (CCAs) of rabbits. Right CCAs were induced in male New Zealand White rabbits (n = 15) by combination of a cholesterol-rich diet and FeCl(3)-induced injury to arterial walls. The right and left CCAs were evaluated by histology and in vivo intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations of 24 hours (n = 3), 8 weeks (n = 6), and 12 weeks (n = 6) after injury. Each right CCA of the rabbits showed extensive white-yellow plaques. At eight and 12 weeks after injury, IVUS, OCT, and histological findings demonstrated that the right CCAs had evident eccentric plaques. Six plaques (50%) with evident positive remodeling were observed. Marked progression was clearly observed in the same plaque at 12 weeks after injury when it underwent repeat OCT and IVUS. We demonstrated, for the first time, a novel model of atherosclerosis induced by FeCl(3). The model is simple, fast, inexpensive, and reproducible and has a high success rate. The eccentric plaques and remodeling of plaques were common in this model. We successfully carried out IVUS and OCT examinations twice in the same lesion within a relatively long period of time.

The essential oil extracted from the seeds of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) was demonstrated in this study as a potential source of an eco-friendly antifungal agent. To elucidate the mechanism of the antifungal action further, the effect of the essential oil on the plasma membrane and mitochondria of Aspergillus flavus was investigated. The lesion in the plasma membrane was detected through flow cytometry and further verified through the inhibition of ergosterol synthesis. The essential oil caused morphological changes in the cells of A. flavus and a reduction in the ergosterol quantity. Moreover, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), acidification of external medium, and mitochondrial ATPase and dehydrogenase activities were detected. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation was also examined through fluorometric assay. Exposure to dill oil resulted in an elevation of MMP, and in the suppression of the glucose-induced decrease in external pH at 4 µl/ml. Decreased ATPase and dehydrogenase activities in A. flavus cells were also observed in a dose-dependent manner. The above dysfunctions of the mitochondria caused ROS accumulation in A. flavus. A reduction in cell viability was prevented through the addition of L-cysteine, which indicates that ROS is an important mediator of the antifungal action of dill oil. In summary, the antifungal activity of dill oil results from its ability to disrupt the permeability barrier of the plasma membrane and from the mitochondrial dysfunction-induced ROS accumulation in A. flavus.

Mammals spontaneously prefer lipid rich foods. Overconsumption of high-fat diet leads to obesity and related diseases. Recent findings indicate that taste may participate in the orosensory perception of dietary lipids and the fatty taste may contribute to a preference for and excessive consumption of dietary fat. CD36, a trans-membrane glycoprotein, which is located in the taste buds of circumvallate papillae of rodents, appears to be a plausible receptor for this fatty taste. Obese subjects present a stronger preference for fatty foods, though the mechanisms involved are complex and are not fully investigated. Our data from immunofluorescence and real-time RT-PCR showed that the expression levels of CD36 in circumvallate taste buds were significantly lower in high-fat diet induced obese rats as compared with that of control rats fed a normal diet. These results suggest that decreased expression of CD36 in circumvallate taste buds of high-fat diet induced obese rats may be associated with diminished fatty taste sensitivity and in order to compensate the preference for dietary fat, rats consume more fatty foods. Therapeutic strategies designed to alter or manipulate CD36 expression or function in taste buds may have important implications in treating obesity and related diseases., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)