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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. The main obstacle in treating advanced CRC is tumor recurrence and metastasis due to chemoresistance. S-phase kinase associated protein 2 (Skp2), an E3 ligase, is highly associated with tumor resistance and a poor prognosis. The results of immunoblotting, immunohistochemical staining, ubiquitination analysis, and co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay revealed that the plant curcuma, curcumol, is a novel Skp2 inhibitor for CRC treatment. Curcumol inhibits aerobic glycolysis in CRC by inducing Skp2 degradation. Co-immunoprecipitation results showed that curcumol enhanced the interaction between cadherin-1 (Cdh1) and Skp2 and led to the ubiquitination and degradation of Skp2. Curcumol exhibited significant antitumor effects against CRC, such as increased intrinsic apoptosis and decreased tumorigenic properties, both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, curcumol overcame 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) resistance in CRC and induced apoptosis in 5-Fu-resistant CRC cells. The present data revealed a novel antitumor mechanism of glycolytic regulation by curcumol, suggesting that curcumol may be a potential chemical candidate for treating 5-Fu-resistant CRC.

Lead (Pb) implicated in multiple genotoxic, neuroepigenotoxic and chromosomal-toxic mechanisms and interacted with varying synaptic plasticity pathways, likely underpinning previous reports of links between Pb and cognitive impairment. Epigenetic changes have emerged as a promising biomarker for neurological disorders, including cognitive disorders, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) etc. In the present review, special attention is paid to neural epigenetic features and mechanisms that can alter gene expression patterns upon environmental Pb exposure in rodents, primates and zebrafish. Epigenetic modifications have also been discussed in population studies and cell experiment. Further, we explore growing evidence that potential linkage between Pb-induced disruption of regulatory pathway and neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders both in vivo and in vitro. These findings uncover how epigenome in neurons facilitates the development and function of the brain in response to Pb insult.

Speckle projection profilometry (SPP) determines the global correspondence between stereo images by speckle pattern(s) projection in three-dimensional (3D) vision. However, it is extremely challenging for traditional algorithms to achieve a satisfactory 3D reconstruction accuracy generally via single-frame speckle pattern, which heavily constraints the application in dynamic 3D imaging. Recently some deep learning (DL) based methods have made process in this issue but there exist deficiencies in feature extraction, leading to a limited improvement in accuracy. In this paper, we propose a stereo matching network called Densely Connected Stereo Matching (DCSM) Network that requires only single-frame speckle pattern as input, adopts densely connected feature extraction and incorporates attention weight volume construction. The densely connected multi-scale feature extraction module we constructed in DCSM Network has a positive effect on the combination of global and local information and inhibition of information loss. We also establish a real measurement system and its digital twin through Blender to obtain rich speckle data under SPP framework. Meanwhile, we introduce Fringe Projection Profilometry (FPP) to obtain phase information to assist in generating high-precision disparity as Ground Truth (GT). Experiments with different types of models and models with various perspectives are implemented to prove the effectiveness and generalization of the proposed network compared with classic and the latest DL-based algorithms. Finally, the 0.5-Pixel-Error of our method in the disparity maps is as low as 4.81%, and the accuracy is verified to be improved by up to 33.4%. As for the cloud point, our method has a reduction of 18%∼30% compared with other network-based methods.

A novel fluorescence (FL) imaging platform was established for ultrasensitive and rapid detection of cardiac troponin T (cTnT), based on a high-throughput immunosensor chip and a DNA dendrimer capped with a large number of fluorescent dyes (FDD@Cy5). Through an enzyme-free and step-by-step strategy, FDD@Cy5 was self-assembled facilely. After the formation of a sandwich immunocomplex and biotin-streptavidin conjugation, FDD@Cy5 could be captured on the chip. FL signals emerged from Cy5 under external light and the enrichment of Cy5 on the dendrimer led to signal amplification. A FL image containing 90 spots could be collected instantaneously by laser confocal scanning microscopy and the brightness of all the spots corresponded to the concentrations of target cTnT. Under optimal conditions, the immunosensor chip coupled with FDD@Cy5 exhibited an excellent detection limit of 0.10 pg L

As a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal, lead (Pb) exposure is known to be implicated in the onset and development of neurodegenerative diseases which may cause more serious health hazards with age and the accumulation of Pb in the body. Autophagy is the main degradation route for abnormal aggregated proteins and damaged cell organelles. Here, we aimed to study the effects of adolescent Pb exposure on autophagy at different life nodes. In this study, we developed a time-series model of Pb exposure in mice and randomly divided 4-week-old male C57BL/6 mice into six groups (4 C, 13 C, 16 C, 4Pb, 13Pb and 16Pb). Mice in Pb groups was consumed deionized water containing 0.2 % Pb(Ac)

Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761 conveys an anticancer effect, but little is known regarding its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study aims to determine the anticancer effect of EGb761 on HCC cell lines and clarify the underlying molecular mechanism. We explore biological functions of EGb761 in HCC using morphological observation, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and cytotoxic analysis. We investigate the effects of EGb761 on proliferation and apoptosis of HCC cells using plate clone formation, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase d-untranslated protein nick end labeling assays. Protein expressions of the NF-κB/p53 signal pathway were detected and identified using immunohistochemistry. The effect of EGb761 on the p53 signaling pathway was further confirmed by adding pifithrin (PFT)-α, an inhibitor of p53. We determine that EGb761 inhibits cell growth, reduces cell viability, and promotes apoptosis of HCC cells. In addition, EGb761 reduces proliferation and increases apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinomas (HepG2) cells in a dose-dependent manner. We also find that EGb761 exerts an anticancer effect on HepG2 cells by activating p53 and inhibiting nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways. This study confirms that EGb761 inhibits proliferation and triggers apoptosis of HCC cells through the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway.

Silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD +)-dependent protein deacetylase that exerts biological effects through nucleoplasmic transfer. Recent studies have highlighted that SIRT1 deacetylates protein substrates to exert its neuroprotective effects, including decreased oxidative stress and inflammatory, increases autophagy, increases levels of nerve growth factors (correlated with behavioral changes), and maintains neural integrity (affects neuronal development and function) in aging or neurological disorder. In this review, we highlight the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective role of SIRT1 in modulating neurodegeneration, focusing on protein homeostasis, aging-related signaling pathways, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity. Meanwhile, the potential of targeting SIRT1 to block the occurrence and progression of neurodegenerative diseases is also discussed. Taken together, this review provides an up-to-date evaluation of our current understanding of the neuroprotective mechanisms of SIRT1 and also be involved in the potential therapeutic opportunities of AD and related neurodegenerative diseases.

Ubiquitination is vital for multiple cellular processes via dynamic modulation of proteins related to cell growth, proliferation, and survival. Of the ubiquitination system components, E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases have the most prominent roles in modulating tumor metastasis. This review will briefly summarize the observations and underlying mechanisms of multiple E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases to regulate tumor metastasis. Further, we will discuss the relationship and importance between ubiquitination components and tumor progression.

Increasing research is illuminating the intricate roles of metal ions in neural development as well as neurological disorders, which may stem from misregulation or dysfunction of epigenetic modifiers. Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), aluminum (Al), and arsenic were chosen for critical review because they have become serious public health concerns due to globalization and industrialization. In this review, we will introduce various modes of action of metals and consider the role of two posttranslational modifications: histone acetylation and methylation and how each of them affects gene expression. We then summarize the findings from previous studies on the neurological outcomes and histone alterations in response to the metals on each of the previously described histone modifications mechanisms. Understanding metal-induced histone modifications changes could provide better insight on the mechanism through which neurotoxicity occurs, to propose and validate these modifications as possible biomarkers for early identification of neurological damage, and can help model targeted therapies for the diseases of the brain.

Surface water storage—including wetlands and other small waterbodies—has largely been disregarded in traditional hydrological models. In this paper, the grid resampling method is adopted to study the influence of the digital elevation model (DEM) grid resolution on depression storage (DS) considering different rainfall return periods. It is observed that the DEM grid size highly affects DS, and the higher the grid resolution is, the larger the DS value. However, when the grid resolution reaches a certain value, the maximum DS value decreases. This suggests that a critical grid resolution value exists at which the water storage capacity of depressions is maximized, namely, 20 m in this work. This phenomenon is further verified in two test cases with and without the infiltration process, i.e., calculations of the local area and without infiltration area, respectively. This research may facilitate the accurate computation of the DS process, which is greatly affected by the grid resolution, thereby improving the reliability of hydrological models.

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), the NAD-dependent histone deacetylase, has been extensively investigated due to its cognitive protective effect. Studies suggest microRNAs (miRNAs) and histone modifications are key epigenetic regulators of gene expression and play important role in brain development. We previously showed that cognitive impairment by lead (Pb) was associated with downregulation of SIRT1, but the epigenetic role of this is unclear. Thus, we exposed 4-week-old male mice to 0.2% lead acetate solution for three months, and subsequently extracted brain homogenate from mice cortex and hippocampus at the age of 1, 4, and 16 months, respectively. In this study, we found that the protein level of SIRT1 was inhibited in the hippocampus and cortex of 16-month-old aged mice exposed to Pb. Moreover, changes in the levels of miR-138-5p and miR-141-3p, which were considered to the mechanistic target of SIRT1 by bioinformatic analysis, were negative correlations SIRT1 protein expression. We also found miR-34c-3p expression was increased in the cortex of mice at the age of 16 months. Collectively, our results showed the expression of neural SIRT1 and three selected microRNAs at different age nodes of mice for the first time of following Pb exposure. Our results suggest that additional efforts should focus on the consequences of early Pb exposure from an epigenetic perspective.

The E3 ligase S-phase kinase-associated protein 2(Skp2) is overexpressed in human cancers and correlated with poor prognosis, but its contributions to tumorigenesis and chemoresistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are not evident. Herein we show that Skp2 is highly expressed in NPC tumor tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of Skp2 suppresses tumor cell growth, colony formation, glycolysis, and in vivo tumor growth. Skp2 promotes Akt K63-mediated ubiquitination and activation, which is required for EGF-induced Akt mitochondrial localization. Importantly, K63-linked ubiquitination enhances the interaction between Akt and HK2 and eventually increases HK2 phosphorylation on Thr473 and mitochondrial localization. Overexpression of Skp2 impaired the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and confers cisplatin resistance. Moreover, ectopic expression of Myr-Akt1 or phosphomimetic HK2-T473D rescued cisplatin-induced tumor suppression in Skp2 knockdown stable cells. Also, depletion of Akt ubiquitination enhances the antitumor efficacy of cisplatin in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we demonstrated that Skp2 is positively correlated with p-Akt and HK2 in NPC tumor tissues. This study highlights the clinical value of Skp2 targeting in NPC treatment.

The health risks to populations induced by lead (Pb) and high-fat diets (HFD) have become a global public health problem. Pb and HFD often co-exist and are co-occurring risk factors for cognitive impairment. This study investigates effect of combined Pb and HFD on cognitive function, and explores the underlying mechanisms in terms of regulatory components of synaptic plasticity and insulin signaling pathway. We showed that the co-exposure of Pb and HFD further increased blood Pb levels, caused body weight loss and dyslipidemia. The results from Morris water maze (MWM) test and Nissl staining disclosed that Pb and HFD each contributed to cognitive deficits and neuronal damage and combined exposure enhanced this toxic injury. Pb and HFD decreased the levels of synapsin-1, GAP-43 and PSD-95 protein related to synaptic properties and SIRT1, NMDARs, phosphorylated CREB and BDNF related to synaptic plasticity regulatory, and these decreases was greater when combined exposure. Additionally, we revealed that Pb and HFD promoted IRS-1 phosphorylation and subsequently reduced downstream PI3K-Akt kinases phosphorylation in hippocampus and cortex of rats, and this process was aggravated when co-exposure. Collectively, our data suggested that combined exposure of Pb and HFD enhanced cognitive deficits, pointing to additive effects in rats than the individual stress effects related to multiple signaling pathways with CREB-BDNF signaling as the hub. This study emphasizes the need to evaluate the effects of mixed exposures on brain function in realistic environment and to better inform prevention of neurological disorders via modulating central pathway, such as CREB/BDNF signaling.

Lead (Pb) poses a potential environmental risk factor for cognitive dysfunction during early life and childhood. Resveratrol is considered a promising antioxidant with respect to the prevention of cognitive deficits and act as a potent SIRT1 agonist. Herein, this study aims to investigate the profile of neurogenesis markers following Pb exposure and to determine the regulatory role of resveratrol in this process. We confirmed firstly the protective effects of resveratrol against Pb-induced impairments of hippocampal neurogenesis in Male SD rats. Pb exposure early in life caused the altered expression of Ki-67, NeuN, caspase-3 and SIRT1 signaling, thereby resulting in spatial cognitive impairment of adolescent rats. As expected, resveratrol reduced cognitive damage and promoted neurogenesis in Pb-induced injury by regulation of SIRT1 pathway. Collectively, our study establishes the efficacy of resveratrol as a neuroprotective agent and provides a strong rationale for further studies on SIRT1-mediated mechanisms of neuroprotective functions.

This study examined the neuroprotective properties of resveratrol (Res) and its target sirtuin1 (SIRT1) against lead (Pb)-mediated toxicity and discovered that both resveratrol treatment and SIRT1 overexpression restored blocked autophagic flux as well as reduced β-amyloid (Aβ) contents. Four-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were employed to consumed 0.2% Pb(Ac)2 solution or deionized water for 3 months followed by 12 months of Res (50 mg/kg BW) or vehicle gavage. In in vitro study, SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with the SIRT1 activator SRT1720 (2 μM) or the inhibitor EX527 (2 μM) for 2 h, then 25 μM of Pb(Ac)2 was added and incubated for 48 h. Western blotting, RT-qPCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Lyso-Tracker Red Staining were next used to estimate the potential alterations of the autophagic pathway as well as BACE1-mediated amyloid processing in response to Pb exposure, respectively. Our data revealed that Res treatment or SIRT1 activation resisted the induction of autophagy by Pb exposure through inhibition of LC3 and Beclin-1 expression and promoted the degradation of Aβ and Tau phosphorylation. Besides, the SIRT1 activator (SRT1720) downregulated the expression of BACE1, the rate-limiting enzyme for Aβ production, by inhibiting the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in Pb-treated SH-SY5Y cells, which resulted in reduced Aβ production. Collectively, we verified the role of Res-SIRT1-autophagy as well as the SIRT1-NF-κB-BACE1 pathway in Pb-induced neuronal cell injury by in vivo or in vitro models. Our findings further elucidate the important role of SIRT1 and Res in counteracting Pb neurotoxicity, which may provide new interventions and targets for the subsequent treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Lead (Pb) exposure damages synaptic structural plasticity that results in cognitive impairment. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound, is one of the most potent agonists of silencing information regulator 1 (SIRT1) discovered to date. However, the effects of SIRT1 on synaptic functional plasticity in early life Pb exposure are not well studied. Herein, the purpose of this study is to investigate the expression of synaptic markers and SIRT1 in rats exposed to Pb and to evaluate the regulatory effect of resveratrol during this process. The Pb exposed male SD pups were treated with resveratrol (50 mg/kg/d) or EDTA (150 mg/kg/d) followed by hippocampal and blood sampling for analysis at postnatal day 21 (PND21). In the Morrris water maze test, resveratrol treatement protected the rats against Pb-induced impairment of learning and memory (P0.05). Resveratrol also enhanced the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, P 0.001 vs 0.2% Pb group), and reversed the effects of Pb exposure on SIRT1(P 0.001 vs 0.2% Pb group). The DG, CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus showed a considerable increase in the expression of pre- and postsynaptic proteins (P 0.001 vs 0.2% Pb group). In conclusion, our study demonstrated that resveratrol, through the activation of SIRT1, played a protective role against Pb-induced defects in synaptic plasticity, and suggested a new potential adjuvant treatment for Pb poisoning.

A novel metal enhanced chemiluminescence (MEC) nanosensor was developed for ultrasensitive biosensing and imaging, based on functional DNA dendrimer (FDD), proximity-dependent DNAzyme and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The FDD containing two split G-quadruplex structures was prepared through an enzyme-free and step-by-step assembly strategy, and then reacted with AgNPs and hemin molecules to form the FDD/hemin/AgNPs facilely. Such a MEC nanosensor consisted of three modules: FDD (scaffold), the generated G-quadruplex/hemin DNAzyme (signal reporter) and AgNPs (chemiluminescence enhancer). The MEC effect was achieved by controlling the length of DNA sequences between AgNPs on the periphery of FDD and DNAzymes inside it. Such nanosensor exhibited 9-fold amplification and another 6.4-fold metal enhancement in chemiluminescence intensity, which can be easily applied into trace detection of multiple protein markers using a disposable protein immunoarray. The FDD/hemin/AgNPs-based multiplex MEC imaging assay showed wide linear ranges over 5 orders of magnitude and detection limits down to 5× 10−5 ng L−1 and 1.8 × 10−4 U mL−1 for cardiac troponin T and carcinoma antigen 125, demonstrating a promising potential in application to protein analysis and clinical diagnosis. Moreover, the MEC nanosensor can be effectively delivered into cells with excellent biocompatibility and outstanding stability, offering a new tool for detection of intracellular targets and suggesting wide applications in bioassay.

// Wei Li 1, 2, * , Feng Gao 3, 4, * , Xiaoqian Ma 1, 2, * , Ruike Wang 5, * , Xin Dong 6 , Wei Wang 1, 2 1 Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, P.R. China 2 Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy Institute, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, P.R. China 3 Powder Metallurgy Research Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 41000, P.R. China 4 Department of Ultrasonography, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, P.R. China 5 Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410000, P.R.China 6 State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100000, P.R. China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Wei Wang, email: weiw_bio@163.com Keywords: non-small cell lung cancer, deguelin, Hexokinases II, Akt, glycolysis Received: October 10, 2016 Accepted: February 22, 2017 Published: March 06, 2017 ABSTRACT Hexokinases II (HK2) is a hub in the regulation of cancer cell glycolysis. Here we reported deguelin, a natural compound which has been studied in various tumor types, has a profound anti-tumor effect on human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) via directly down-regulating of glycolysis. In NSCLC cell lines and primary NSCLC tissue, we found HK2 is overexpressed. Deguelin treatment markedly inhibited anchorage-dependent and independent growth of NSCLC cell lines. We revealed that deguelin exposure impaired glucose metabolism by inhibiting Akt-mediated Hexokinase II expression, overexpression of constitutively activated Akt1 substantially rescued deguelin-induced glycolysis suppression. Moreover, deguelin suppressed HK2 presence on mitochondrial outer membrane and induced apoptosis. The in vivo data indicated that deguelin prominently restrained tumor development in a xenograft mouse model. Thus, deguelin appears to be a promising new therapeutic agent for lung cancer and may be considered for further studies in other animal models and in clinical trials.

We aimed to identify critical genes for metastasis and prognosis of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). The mRNA data of GSE73064 including 15 HGSOC samples (5 primary tumor cells, 5 ascites tumor cells, and 5 metastasis tumor cells) were applied for the present analysis. The data were first preprocessed using robust multiarray average (RMA) method, and time-series gene expression analyses were performed using short time-series expression miner (version 1.3.11). Then, functional analysis for clustered genes was conducted, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Subnetwork module was also analyzed. After that, we analyzed the miRNA regulatory network. Finally, survival analysis was performed. In this study, PPBP, ITGB2, and ITGAM were genes with higher degrees in the PPI network. miR-4469, miR-6734-5p, and miR-1304-5p were several of important miRNAs in the miRNA-target regulatory network. In addition, survival analysis showed that nine genes such as CLEC5A, FPR1, and CXCL12 might be important for HGSOC prognosis. PPBP, ITGB2, and ITGAM may be critical for HGSOC metastasis. CLEC5A, FPR1, and CXCL12 may be important for the prognosis of HGSOC. Furthermore, miR-4469, miR-6734-5p, and miR-1304-5p may be important miRNAs associated with HGSOC.

A simple system based on two cascaded Mach-Zehnder modulators, which can generate 160GHz optical terahertz waves from 40GHz microwave sources, is simulated and tested in this paper. Fiber grating filter is used in the system to filter out optical carrier. By properly adjusting the modulator DC bias voltages and the signal voltages and phases, 4-tupling optical terahertz wave can be generated with fiber grating. This notch fiber grating filter is greatly suitable for terahertz over fiber (TOF) communication system. This scheme greatly reduces the cost of long-distance terahertz communication. Furthermore, 10Gbps digital signal is modulated in the 160GHz optical terahertz wave.

Vanadium dioxide is a functional material with thermotropic properties. The phase transition temperature is close to room temperature, and the metal-insulator transition at the phase transition temperature is accompanied by the abrupt change of light and electrical properties. It has important research value and Potential application prospects. In this paper, the research status and improvement methods of the preparation of vanadium dioxide thin films by hydrothermal method are reviewed, and the research progress of the modulation characteristics of vanadium dioxide thin terahertz in recent years is reviewed, and the future development trend is put forward.

PurposeThe vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) is a specific biomarker for imaging presynaptic cholinergic neurons. Herein, two potent and selective (11)C-labeled VAChT inhibitors were evaluated in rodents and nonhuman primates for imaging VAChT in vivo.ProceduresFor both (-)-[(11)C]2 and (-)-[(11)C]6, biodistribution, autoradiography, and metabolism studies were performed in male Sprague Dawley rats. Positron emission tomography (PET) brain studies with (-)-[(11)C]2 were performed in adult male cynomolgus macaques; 2 h dynamic data was acquired, and the regions of interest were drawn by co-registration of the PET images with the MRI.ResultsThe resolved enantiomers (-)-2 and (-)-6 were very potent and selective for VAChT in vitro (K i 35-fold selectivity for VAChT vs. σ receptors); both radioligands, (-)-[(11)C]2 and (-)-[(11)C]6, demonstrated high accumulation in the VAChT-enriched striatum of rats. (-)-[(11)C]2 had a higher striatum to cerebellum ratio of 2.4-fold at 60 min; at 30 min, striatal uptake reached 0.550 ± 0.086 %ID/g. Uptake was also specific and selective; following pretreatment with (±)-2, striatal uptake of (-)-[(11)C]2 in rats at 30 min decreased by 50 %, while pretreatment with a potent sigma ligand had no significant effect on striatal uptake in rats. In addition, (-)-[(11)C]2 displayed favorable in vivo stability in rat blood and brain. PET studies of (-)-[(11)C]2 in nonhuman primates indicate that it readily crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and provides clear visualization of the striatum; striatal uptake reaches the maximum at 60 min, at which time the target to nontarget ratio reached ~2-fold.ConclusionsThe radioligand (-)-[(11)C]2 has high potential to be a suitable PET radioligand for imaging VAChT in the brain of living subjects.

We investigate the terahertz optical properties of VO2 (M) films synthesized hydrothermally on a c-sapphire substrate by a two-step method. The terahertz transmittance is greater than 70% for the insulating state of monoclinic VO2 films, and the average modulation depth approaches 94% for frequencies of 0.2–2.0 THz. A sample prepared using 450 °C postannealing undergoes a sharp insulator–metal transition around 61 °C at 1.5 THz with a 97% modulation depth. Furthermore, the effects of the postannealing temperature on the structure, morphology, and phase-transition properties of VO2 film/c-sapphire samples are presented. The results show that the hydrothermal synthesis of VO2 polymorphs has potential applications in the terahertz wavelength range.We investigate the terahertz optical properties of VO2 (M) films synthesized hydrothermally on a c-sapphire substrate by a two-step method. The terahertz transmittance is greater than 70% for the insulating state of monoclinic VO2 films, and the average modulation depth approaches 94% for frequencies of 0.2–2.0 THz. A sample prepared using 450 °C postannealing undergoes a sharp insulator–metal transition around 61 °C at 1.5 THz with a 97% modulation depth. Furthermore, the effects of the postannealing temperature on the structure, morphology, and phase-transition properties of VO2 film/c-sapphire samples are presented. The results show that the hydrothermal synthesis of VO2 polymorphs has potential applications in the terahertz wavelength range.

A series of microPET imaging studies were conducted in anesthetized rhesus monkeys using the dopamine D 2 -selective partial agonist, [ 11 C] SV-III-130 . There was a high uptake in regions of brain known to express a high density of D 2 receptors under baseline conditions. Rapid displacement in the caudate and putamen, but not in the cerebellum, was observed after injection of the dopamine D 2/3 receptor nonselective ligand S (−)-eticlopride at a low dosage (0.025 mg/kg/i.v.); no obvious displacement in the caudate, putamen and cerebellum was observed after the treatment with a dopamine D 3 receptor selective ligand WC-34 (0.1 mg/kg/i.v.). Pretreatment with lorazepam (1 mg/kg, i.v. 30 min) to reduce endogenous dopamine prior to tracer injection resulted in unchanged binding potential (BP) values, a measure of D 2 receptor binding in vivo, in the caudate and putamen. d -Amphetamine challenge studies indicate that there is a significant displacement of [ 11 C] SV-III-130 by d -Amphetamine-induced increases in synaptic dopamine levels.

Terahertz time domain spectroscopy system (THz-TDS) is the most commonly means of measuring terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The time delay between the pump and probe laser is an important technology to realize THz time domain spectrum measurement. The translation platform with two mirrors and the mechanical structure is the popular means to adjust the optical path difference between the pump and probe laser to get the time delay of femtosecond pulse. Because of the limit of the mechanical structure and the phase-locked amplifier, this technique can’t scan spectrum fast. In order to obtain high quality signal, a long time will be taken to scan spectrum. So a more rapid and convenient time delay technology is required to Instead of the machine translation platform and accomplish the Rapid spectral measurement. Asynchronous optical sampling technique is a way to get the time delay by producing a very small frequency difference between the repetition frequency of two femtosecond lasers. The scanner time will be reduced, because of there is no waste of time, due to mechanical inertia, not only by using the asynchronous optical sampling method to replace the mechanical structure without the influence of vibration. It will greatly increase the degree of integration by using the fiber femtosecond laser and highly integrated circuit to realize optical asynchronous sampling. To solve the problem above, a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system based on asynchronous sampling is designed in this thesis. The system is based of two femtosecond laser whose repetition frequency is 100MHz.In order to realize asynchronous sampling, the control circuit of the two lasers is the most important. This thesis focuses on the researching, designing and experiment of this circuit. Firstly, the circuit is designed overall. Then the selection of the key device and the designing of the circuit principle is done by myself. Secondly, the test of the circuit to phase locked the master and slave fiber femtosecond lasers has been done. As a result, the two lasers can phase locked on two repetition frequencies with a small frequency difference calculated by the circuit.

Previous study indicated that COMT might play a significant role in the development of preeclampsia(PE). The purpose of our study is to investigate the association of COMT -287A/G polymorphism (rs2075507) with PE susceptibility in Chinese han population. 505 PE patients and 824 normal pregnant women were enrolled in our research. All the subjects were detected the genotype of COMT -287 loci by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method. Demographics and clinical data were performed using t test or Mann-Whitney test. The frequencies of the allelic and genotypic distribution between PE patients and healthy controls were analyzed by X2 test. No significant difference in the genotypic distribution was found between the patients and controls (x2 =0.13, p=0.94), while frequency of the allele showed a unstatistical significant difference (x2=0.07, p=0.79). The COMT -287A/G polymorphism might be associated with the PE in Chinese women. Further researches are yet needed to validate the relationship between the COMT -287A/G and the PE in different ethnic groups.Read Complete Article at ijSciences: V5201603987 AND DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18483/ijSci.987

A scheme to generate terahertz wave based on optical quadrupled frequency technique is simulated and tested.0.12THz terahertz wave is generated from 30GHz microwave source.

Objective The addition of lipophilic opioids to local anesthetics for spinal anesthesia has become a widely used strategy for cesarean anesthesia. A meta-analysis to quantify the benefits and risks of combining sufentanil with bupivacaine for patients undergoing cesarean delivery was conducted. Methods A comprehensive literature search without language or date limitation was performed to identify clinical trials that compared the addition of sufentanil to bupivacaine with bupivacaine alone for spinal anesthesia in healthy parturients choosing cesarean delivery. The Q and I2 tests were used to assess heterogeneity of the data. Data from each trial were combined using relative ratios (RRs) for dichotomous data or weighted mean differences (WMDs) for continuous data and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for each trial. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by removing one study a time to assess the quality and consistency of the results. Begg’s funnel plots and Egger’s linear regression test were used to detect any publication bias. Results This study included 9 trials containing 578 patients in the final meta-analysis. Sufentanil addition provided a better analgesia quality with less breakthrough pain during surgery than bupivacaine alone (RR = 0.10, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.18, P < 0.001). Sensory block onset time was shorter and first analgesic request time was longer in sufentanil added group compared with the bupivacaine-alone group (WMD = −1.0 min, 95% CI −1.5 to −0.58, P < 0.001 and WMD = 133 min, 95% CI 75 to 213, P < 192, respectively). There was no significant difference in the risk of hypotension and vomiting between these two groups. But pruritus was more frequentely reported in the group with sufentanil added (RR = 7.63, 95% CI 3.85 to 15.12, P < 0.001). Conclusion Bupivacaine and sufentanil combination is superior to that of bupivacaine alone for spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery in analgesia quality. Women receiving the combined two drugs had less breakthrough pain, shorter sensory block onset time, and longer first analgesic request time. However, the addition of sufentanil to bupivacaine increased the incidence of pruritus.

To determine the effect of p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) on TNF-α -induced high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) expression in microglial cells. Microglial cells were treated with TNF-α (25 ng/mL, TNF-α group), TNF-α plus SB203580 (10 μmol/L, TNF-α+SB203580 group), SB203580 (SB203580 group) or serum-free medium (control group). After 16 h of incubation, the protein levels of p-p38 MAPK and HMGB1, and mRNA levels of HMGB1 were examined by ELISA, Western Blot and RT-PCR, respectively. There was a significant increase in p-p38 MAPK and HMGB1 levels in TNF-α-treated microglia cells (P0.01). The TNF-α-induced HMGB1 protein and mRNA expression was suppressed by SB203580. TNF-α up-regulates HMGB1 expression in microglial cells through activation of the p38 MAPK pathway.目的：观察P38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase，p38 MAPK)抑制剂SB203580对TNF-α诱导的原代培养大鼠小胶质细胞高迁移率族蛋白B1(high mobility group protein B1，HMGB1)表达的影响。方法：采用原代培养大鼠小胶质细胞，设立对照组、TNF-α组(25 ng/mL)、TNF-α(25 ng/mL)+SB 203580组(10 μmol/L)、SB 203580组(10 μmol/L)，各组细胞经药物处理16 h后分别用ELISA法检测细胞培养上清中HMGB1的表达情况，Western印迹检测细胞HMGB1和磷酸化p38MAPK表达情况，用反转录PCR检测HMGB1 mRNA表达。结果：经TNF-α刺激后，大鼠小胶质细胞及其培养上清液中HMGB1蛋白表达增高；SB 203580可抑制TNF-α诱导的磷酸化p38 MAPK表达 (P0.01)，同时下调HMGB1mRNA和HMGB1蛋白的表达。结论：TNF-α可诱导小胶质细胞晚期炎症因子HMGB1的表达，并且其诱导机制与p38 MAPK被快速激活相关。.