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Background: The noninvasive evaluation of right ventricular function (RVF) in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases remains a challenge. Internationally recommended echocardiographic parameters for the evaluation of RVF may not be applicable to China, because of the limited examination time per patient, the varying skill levels of ultrasonographers, inadequate allocation of professional specialties, and outdated instruments and equipment.Methods: Sixty-two patients admitted for right heart failure and 52 healthy volunteers were included in the analysis. The tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), peak systolic velocity in the tricuspid annulus of the right ventricular free wall (S′), myocardial performance index, right ventricular fractional area change, and Doppler peak strains in the base and mid cavity were evaluated and compared between groups.Results: Compared with the control group, all RVF parameters in the right heart failure group showed significant deterioration (P < .001). However, only TAPSE and S′ were finally included in the discriminant equation. The diagnostic cutoff values derived from the receiver operating characteristic curve were Conclusion: TAPSE and S′ are more suitable than other parameters for the diagnosis of right heart failure in Chinese patients. Different combinations of TAPSE and S′ can be applied effectively for the diagnosis of right heart failure.

A fast and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry compatible protein staining method in one- and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is described. It is based on the counterion dye staining method that employs oppositely charged two dyes, zincon and ethyl violet, to form an ion-pair complex. The protocol, including fixing, staining, and quick washing steps, can be completed in 1-1.5 h, depending upon gel thickness. It has the sensitivity comparable to the colloidal Coomassie Brilliant Blue G stain using phosphoric acid as a component of staining solution (4-8 ng). The counterion dye stain does not induce protein modifications that complicate interpretation of peptide mapping data from mass spectrometry. Considering the speed, sensitivity, and compatibility with mass spectrometry, the counterion dye stain may be more practical than any other dye-based protein stains for routine proteomic researches.

The Component Library(CL)is the key to realize software reuse, the CL available on the network is decentralized, independent, not easy to access at present and existing component libraries face infrastructure supply and maintenance challenges. The authors use cloud computing model, which contribute to resolve the issues of visiting different component libraries and the scalability of component library resources. In this paper, we discuss the plan that placed the CL in the cloud infrastructure and put forward a hierarchical organizational model of component resources based on cloud storage to achieve component integration services. We also explore the component library retrieval framework in the cloud and verify the cloud model applied to component library retrieval based on the Hadoop platform can improve the system performance and achieve the scalability of the computing power.

Low viscosity fluids with tunable optical properties can be processed to manufacture thin film and interfaces for molecular detection, light trapping in photovoltaics and reconfigurable optofluidic devices. In this work, self-assembly in wormlike micelle solutions is used to uniformly distribute various metallic nanoparticles to produce stable suspensions with localized, multiple wavelength or broad-band optical properties. Their spectral response can be robustly modified by varying the species, concentration, size and/or shape of the nanoparticles. Structure, rheology and optical properties of these plasmonic nanogels as well as their potential applications to efficient photovoltaics design are discussed.

To investigate the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass on neutrophils apoptosis and the expression of survivin.Ten patients who scheduled for cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass were recruited as study group and 10 healthy volunteers as control. Blood samples were obtained before operation, at the end of surgery, and at 24 hours postoperatively. Neutrophils were isolated by density gradient centrifugation and its apoptosis were evaluated by fluorescent microscope and flow cytometry. The expression of survivin protein was examined by Western blotting analysis. Expression level of survivin mRNA was detected by RT-PCR.The apoptotic rate of neutrophils decreased significantly at the end of surgery (P0.01), and was still lower at 24 hours postoperatively than before operation (P0.05). The expression ratios of survivin protein and mRNA were increased at the end of surgery (P0.01), and decreased gently at 24 hours postoperatively but was still higher than before operation (P0.05).Cardiopulmonary bypass could inhibit neutrophils apoptosis and increase the expression of survivin. The decrease of neutrophils apoptosis was correlated with high expression of survivin.

A convenient silver staining method for protein in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gels is described. The method is previsible, sensitive, and mass spectrometry (MS) compatible. Two visible counter ion dyes, ethyl violet (EV) and zincon (ZC), were used in the first staining solution with a detection limit of 2 to 8 ng/band in approximately 1h. The dye-stained gel can be further stained by silver staining, which is based on acidic silver staining employing ZC with sodium thiosulfate as silver ion sensitizers. Especially, ZC has silver ion reducing power by cleavage of the diazo bond of the dye during silver reduction. The second silver staining can be completed in approximately 1h with a detection limit of 0.2 ng/band.

To explore the effects of zinc supplementation on zinc and calcium levels in serum and tissue in burned rats.Eighty SD rats were randomly divided into C group (control group without scald, n = 8), and N, W, H groups (each consisting of 24 rats), in which the rats were exposed to scalding resulting in partial thickness burns covering 15% of the total body surface area on the back, and then they were fed with diets containing zinc 40 microg/g in N and W groups, and 80 microg/g in H group. A cream containing zinc 761.1 microg/g was applied on the wound in W group at the same time. Eight rats of each group were sacrificed on day 1, 3 and 7 after scald respectively. Venous blood and samples of liver, femur and scald skin were harvested. Zinc and calcium contents in serum and tissues were determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometer.The serum Zn(2+) levels in N, W groups were lower than C group, however, it was obviously higher in H group (up to 16.2 micromol/L) on day 1 after scald. The liver Zn(2+) showed an increasing tendency in all groups, while Ca(2+) level declined in H group, but increased in N, W group. The bone Zn(2+) and Ca(2+) levels showed a progressive declination in all groups from day 1 to 7 after scald. The changes were more obviously in N group than H group (P0.05). The Zn(2+) content of the scalded skin increased obviously in H group on first day after scald and in W group on 7th day after scald. The Ca(2+) contents of scalded skin showed marked increases in all groups, especially in N group, but least in W group.There are obvious changes in Zn(2+) and Ca(2+) contents of serum and tissues after scald injury and zinc supplementation. The effects of zinc supplementation on calcium level in the tissue need to be further studied.

One of the major symptoms of diabetes mellitus (DM) is delayed wound healing, which affects large populations of patients worldwide. However, the underlying mechanism behind this illness remains elusive. Skin wound healing requires a series of coordinated processes, including fibroblast cell proliferation and migration. Here, we simulate DM by application of high glucose (HG) in human foreskin primary fibroblast cells to analyze the molecular mechanism of DM effects on wound healing. The results indicate that HG, at a concentration of 30 mM, delay cell migration, but not cell proliferation. bFGF is known to promote cell migration that partially rescues HG effects on cell migration. Molecular and cell biology studies demonstrated that HG enhanced ROS production and repressed JNK phosphorylation, but did not affect Rac1 activity. JNK and Rac1 activation were known to be important for bFGF regulated cell migration. To further confirm DM effects on skin repair, a type 1 diabetic rat model was established, and we observed the efficacy of bFGF on both normal and diabetic rat skin repair. Furthermore, proteomic studies identified an increase of Annexin A2 protein nitration in HG-stressed fibroblasts and the nitration was protected by activation of bFGF signaling. Treatment with FGFR1 and JNK inhibitors delayed cell migration and increased Annexin A2 nitration levels, indicating that Annexin A2 nitration is modulated by bFGF signaling via activation of JNK. Together with these results, our data suggests that the HG-mediated delay of cell migration is linked to the inhibition of bFGF signaling, specifically through JNK suppression.

Multicomponent plasmonic nanogels (PNGs) capable of broadband absorption of light in the 400−700 nm wavelength range were synthesized by the self-assembly of metal nanoparticles with wormlike surfactant micelles. Small angle x-ray scattering and rheological experiments suggest that the nanoparticles bridge micelle fragments to aid the formation a stable gel phase with exceptional color uniformity. Their optical absorbance could be robustly tuned by changing the nanoparticle type (Au/Ag), size, shape, and/or concentration. The PNGs have relatively low viscosity and are thermoreversible. Potential applications to the manufacturing of coatings and interfaces for solar energy harvesting and reconfigurable optical devices can be envisioned.

Objective: To explore the predictive value of the brachial-ankle artery pulse wave velocity (baPWV) for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods: Echocardiographic data, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level, and baPWV were assessed in 111 consecutive patients admitted for acute dyspnea. The patients were divided into the HFpEF group (n=71) and the control group (n=40). Results: Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the ratio of the early mitral inflow velocity to the tissue Doppler velocity (E/e’) at the lateral mitral annulus, BNP, and baPWV were independently predictive of HFpEF. Adding the baPWV to E/e’ at the lateral annulus and to the BNP resulted in an increase in the area under the curve (AUC) to 0.855 (vs. lateral E/e’ alone, P=0.02) or 0.880 (vs. BNP alone, P=0.02), respectively. The AUC of the three combining indicators including the lateral E/e’, BNP, and baPWV was 0.910 (vs. E/e’ lateral alone, P

Background Genesis of novel gene regulatory modules is largely responsible for morphological and functional evolution. De novo generation of novel cis-regulatory elements (CREs) is much rarer than genomic events that alter existing CREs such as transposition, promoter switching or co-option. Only one case of de novo generation has been reported to date, in fish and without involvement of phenotype alteration. Yet, this event likely occurs in other animals and helps drive genetic/phenotypic variation. Results Using a porcine model of spontaneous hearing loss not previously characterized we performed gene mapping and mutation screening to determine the genetic foundation of the phenotype. We identified a mutation in the non-regulatory region of the melanocyte-specific promoter of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) gene that generated a novel silencer. The consequent elimination of expression of the MITF-M isoform led to early degeneration of the intermediate cells of the cochlear stria vascularis and profound hearing loss, as well as depigmentation, all of which resemble the typical phenotype of Waardenburg syndrome in humans. The mutation exclusively affected MITF-M and no other isoforms. The essential function of Mitf-m in hearing development was further validated using a knock-out mouse model. Conclusions Elimination of the MITF-M isoform alone is sufficient to cause deafness and depigmentation. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence of a de novo CRE in mammals that produces a systemic functional effect. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0273-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.