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Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) has been extensively utilized for the extraction and separation of tiny-molecule substances as a new system (system with short-chain ethanol and inorganic salts). In this study, an innovative method of extracting anthocyanins from mulberry was developed, employing microwave-assisted extraction with ethanol/ammonium sulfate as a biphasic extractant. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize anthocyanin extraction conditions: 39% ethanol (w/w), 13% ammonium sulfate (w/w), and liquid-to-solid ratio of 45:1, microwave duration 3 min, microwave temperature 32 °C, and microwave power 480 Watt (W). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis demonstrated no significant differences in the structure of mulberry anthocyanins before and after MAATPE treatment, furthermore. The extraction behavior of MAATPE was due to hydrogen bonding, according to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Scanning electron microscopy analysis found that MAATPE damaged the cell structure via a microwave enhancement effect, which was more favorable to anthocyanin dissolution than standard extraction methods. The DPPH free radical scavenging rate of mulberry extracts at 0.5 mg/mL was higher than that of vitamin C (96.4 ± 0.76%), and the ABTS free radical scavenging rate (82.52 ± 2.13%) was close to that of vitamin C, indicating that MAATPE-derived mulberry extracts have good antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a hematopoietic growth factor existing in neutrophils, glial cells and neurons. Increasing researches discovered that G-CSF improved cell survival in neurodegenerative diseases by its anti-inflammatory effect. However, the effect of G-CSF in suppressing inflammation in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explored the anti-inflammatory effect of G-CSF in mouse model of PD. G-CSF was administrated in the PD model induced by MPTP. Subsequently, the protein of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) and the inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in the midbrain were examined. In addition, the phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) including c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 MAPK in the midbrain were investigated. Compared with the MPTP group, the protein of TH in the midbrain was increased, while the Iba-1 and the inflammatory factors were decreased. In addition, the expression of phosphorylated JNK (p-JNK) in the midbrain of the MPTP + G-CSF group was decreased, while the phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) levels were elevated. These findings emphasize that G-CSF inhibited the degradation of DA neurons. The protective effect is associated with the reduction of the inflammatory factors caused by the inhibition of the microglial activation. Moreover, G-CSF may decrease the inflammatory factors through the decrease of P-JNK and the increase of P-ERK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We carried out the current meta-analysis aiming to comprehensively assess the potential role of p15 and p16 aberrant promoter methylation in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM). The MEDLINE (1966 ~ 2013), Cochrane Library (Issue 12, 2013), EMBASE (1980 ~ 2013), CINAHL (1982 ~ 2013), Web of Science (1945 ~ 2013), and Chinese Biomedical (CBM) (1982 ~ 2013) databases were searched without language restrictions. Meta-analyses were conducted using Stata software (Version 12.0, Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA). Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95 % confidence intervals (95 %CIs) were calculated. Thirteen clinical case-control studies, which enrolled a total of 465 MM patients and 180 healthy subjects, were included in the meta-analysis. The results of our meta-analysis demonstrated that the frequencies of p15 and p16 promoter methylation in cancer samples were significantly higher than in normal samples ( p15: OR = 6.26, 95 %CI = 3.87 ~ 10.12, P < 0.001; p16: OR = 2.26, 95 %CI = 1.22 ~ 4.20, P < 0.001). Ethnicity-stratified analysis showed that the aberrant methylation of p15 was significantly related with the risk of MM among both Caucasians and Asians (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, our results also illustrated a strong positive correlation between p16 promoter methylation and the pathogenesis of MM among Asians (OR = 5.17, 95 %CI = 3.45 ~ 7.74, P < 0.001), but not among Caucasians ( P > 0.05). The current meta-analysis confirms and reinforces existing findings that p15 and p16 promoter methylation may be closely implicated in the pathogenesis of MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, NiO/TiO 2 heterojunctions were fabricated by sol-gel spin coating on plastic substrates to investigate the effects of bending on resistive switching. The switching mechanism is well explained by the formation and rupture of oxygen-vacancy conducting filaments modulated by the p-n interface. Compared with that of the unbent film, the device ON/OFF ratio is slightly improved after 5000 bending repetitions. Finite element calculations indicate that the tensile stress of 0.79% can lead to the formation of channel cracks. Further charge transport analysis shows that the conducting filaments may cause an incomplete rupture because the bending-induced channel crack permeates through the p-n interface and reduces the local depletion-region width., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)