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Our previous report revealed that immature dendritic cells (imDCs) with adenovirus-mediated CCR7 overexpression acquired an enhanced migratory ability but also exhibited the lower immune tolerance observed in more mature cells. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether BTLA overexpression was sufficient to preserve immune tolerance in imDCs with exogenous CCR7 overexpression. Scanning electron microscopy and surface antigens analysis revealed that BTLA overexpression suppressed DC maturation, an effect further potentiated in CCR7 and BTLA cooverexpressing cells. Correspondingly, in vitro chemotaxis assays and mixed lymphocyte reactions demonstrated increased migratory potential and immune tolerance in CCR7 and BTLA coexpressing cells. Furthermore, CCR7 and BTLA cooverexpressed imDCs suppressed IFN-γ and IL-17 expression and promoted IL-4 and TGF-beta expression of lymphocyte, indicating an increase of T helper 2 (Th2) regulatory T cell (Treg). Thus, these data indicate that CCR7 and BTLA cooverexpression imparts an intermediate immune phenotype in imDCs when compared to that in CCR7- or BTLA-expressing counterparts that show a more immunocompetent or immunotolerant phenotype, respectively. All these results indicated that adenovirus-mediated CCR7 and BTLA overexpression could enhance immune tolerance and migration of imDCs. Our study provides a basis for further studies on imDCs in immune tolerance, with the goal of developing effective cellular immunotherapies for transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether non-linear blending technique for arterial-phase dual-energy abdominal CT angiography (CTA) could improve image quality compared to the linear blending technique and conventional 120 kVp imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study included 118 patients who had accepted dual-energy abdominal CTA in the arterial phase. They were assigned to Sn140/80 kVp protocol (protocol A, n = 40) if body mass index (BMI) < 25 or Sn140/100 kVp protocol (protocol B, n = 41) if BMI ≥ 25. Non-linear blending images and linear blending images with a weighting factor of 0.5 in each protocol were generated and compared with the conventional 120 kVp images (protocol C, n = 37). The abdominal vascular enhancements, image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and radiation dose were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance test, independent t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS Mean vascular attenuation, CNR, SNR and subjective image quality score for the non-linear blending images in each protocol were all higher compared to the corresponding linear blending images and 120 kVp images (p values ranging from < 0.001 to 0.007) except for when compared to non-linear blending images for protocol B and 120 kVp images in CNR and SNR. No significant differences were found in image noise among the three kinds of images and the same kind of images in different protocols, but the lowest radiation dose was shown in protocol A. CONCLUSION Non-linear blending technique of dual-energy CT can improve the image quality of arterial-phase abdominal CTA, especially with the Sn140/80 kVp scanning.

Significantly enhanced performances of semitransparent inverted organic photovoltaic devices have been realized by simply introducing a high reflector structure, which comprises several pairs of MoO3/LiF with a thickness of 60 nm for MoO3 and 90 nm for LiF, respectively. After optimizing the reflector structure, the enhanced light harvesting is achieved, and thus the increased optical current is obtained. The short-circuit current density (JSC) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) are increased to 10.9 mA cm(-2) and 4.32%, compared to 8.09 mA cm(-2) and 3.36% in the control device. This leads to a 30% enhancement in PCE. According to the experimental and simulated results, the improved performance is attributed to the effective reflection of light at the wavelength from 450 to 600 nm, which corresponds to the absorption range of the active layer. The demonstrated light-trapping approach is expected to be an effective method to realize the high efficiency in semitransparent organic photovoltaic devices.

With the development of modern signal processing technology, the method of Wavelet Transform (WT) has been greatly used in image and video processing. In this paper, a method to use Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) in intra-frame (I-frame) video compression is proposed for the purpose of better compression efficiency and quality on the basis of good visual effects. The method can be functioned as a preprocessing of I-frame coding. The experimental results show that the proposed method has an increase in both coding efficiency and quality.

Several studies have shown that miR-320a induces apoptosis, inhibits cell proliferation, and affects cell cycle progression as a tumor suppressor in many cancers. However, the involvement of miR-320a in the invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unknown. Endogenous miR-320a and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) expressions were assayed by real-time PCR. Luciferase activities were measured using a dual-luciferase reporter assay system. Western blots were used to determine the protein expressions of HMGB1, MMP2, and MMP9. Invasion and metastasis of tumor cells were respectively evaluated by the transwell invasion assay and the wound healing assay. The expression of miR-320a was significantly decreased in 24 of 32 (75%) HCC tissues and associated with the invasion and metastasis of HCC. Furthermore, we demonstrated that HMGB1 was a direct target of miR-320a and there was a significant negative correlation between miR-320a and HMGB1 expression in HCC. Ectopic expression or inhibition of miR-320a potently regulated the invasion and metastasis of HCC cells in HMGB1-dependent manner. Our results showed that miR-320a was involved in the invasion and metastasis by targeting HMGB1 and played an antimestastasic role in HCC. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are dysregulated in many types of malignant diseases, including colorectal cancer. miRNA 30a (miR-30a) is a member of the miR-30 family and has been implicated in many types of cancers. In this study, we determined the expression of miR-30a in human colon cancer tissues and cell lines. miR-30a was found to be significantly downregulated in both the tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-30a inhibited, while silencing of miR-30a promoted, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Consistently, stable overexpression of miR-30a suppressed the growth of colon cancer cell xenografts in vivo. Moreover, bioinformatic algorithms and luciferase reporter assays revealed that insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) is a direct target of miR-30a. Further functional studies suggested that repression of IRS2 by miR-30a partially mediated the tumor suppressor effect of miR-30a. In addition, miR-30a inhibited constitutive phosphorylation of Akt by targeting IRS2. Additionally, clinicopathological analysis indicated that miR-30a has an inverse correlation with the staging in patients with colon cancer. Taken together, our study provides the first evidence that miR-30a suppressed colon cancer cell growth through inhibition of IRS2. Thus, miR-30a might serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for colon cancer treatment.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are deregulated in a number of cancers including colorectal cancer. MiR-30c belongs to miR-30 family, and is involved in a variety of malignant diseases. In this study, we detected the expression of miR-30c in colon cancer cell lines and clinical colon cancer specimens. MiR-30c was shown to be dramatically down-regulated both in cell lines and cancer tissues. Additionally, miR-30c could inhibit cancer cell growth, migration and invasion in vitro. Consistently, stable over-expression of miR-30c inhibited the growth and lung metastasis of colon cancer cell xenografts in vivo. Furthermore, bioinformatics algorithm and luciferase reporter assay indicated ADAM19 as a direct target of miR-30c. Of interest, further experiments demonstrated that inhibition of ADAM19 by miR-30c partially mediated the anti-tumor effect of miR-30c. Overall, our study provides the new insight that miR-30c inhibited colon cancer cells via targeting ADAM19. Thus, miR-30c might serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for colon cancer treatment.

Despite the rapid development of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs), the overall device efficiency is still limited because ∼80% of the generated light is trapped in a conventional device architecture by the high refractive index of organic materials and the optical confinement and internal reflection. The implementation of the energy dissipation compensation techniques is urgently required for further enhancement in the efficiency of PLEDs. Here, we demonstrate that incorporating the double-pattern Bragg gratings in the organic layers with soft nanoimprinting lithography can dramatically enhance the light extraction of trapped optical modes in PLEDs. The resulting efficiency is 1.35 times that of a conventional device with a flat architecture used as a comparison. The experimental and theoretical analyses indicate that the enhanced out-coupling efficiency is attributed to the combination of the ordinary Bragg scattering, the guided-mode resonance (GMR), surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes, and the hybrid anticross coupling between GMR and SPP, leading to the extraordinary efficient photo flux that can transfer in direction of the leaky modes. We anticipate that our method provides a new pathway for precisely manipulating nanoscale optical fields and could enable the integration of different optical modes in PLEDs for the viable applications.

To observe the preventive and therapeutic effect of advanced airway management on pulmonary infection in patients with inhalation injury after tracheotomy.fourteen burn patients with inhalation injury admitted to our hospital from January 2001 to December 2004 were enrolled as control (C) group, and they were treated with conventional systemic therapy and management of airway. Twenty-seven burn patients with inhalation injury admitted to our hospital from January 2005 to October 2009 were enrolled as advanced (A) group, and they were treated with conventional systemic therapy and advanced airway management, including bedside isolation of airway, fixation of both oxygen supply tube and humidifying tube, humidification in specific body position, thinning of sputum, lavement of airway and procedural sputum elimination, steam inhalation combined with medicine, and suction of sputum with interrupted negative pressure. Result of bacterial culture of sputum (the 7th day after tracheotomy) and chest X-ray (at admission and the 7th day after tracheotomy), pulmonary infection, change in blood gas analysis index and oxygen saturation (SO(2)), (within 7 days after tracheotomy), and the number of patients curd in 2 groups were observed and compared.(1) Positive result of bacterial culture of sputum was observed in 11 (78.6%) patients in C group and 12 (44.4%) patients in A group. The difference between them was statistically significant (chi(2) = 4.36, P0.05). The main bacterium detected was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. (2) Pneumonia was suspected in 7 patients (25.9%) in A group by chest X-ray, which was obviously fewer than that in C group (8 Cases, 57.1%, chi(2) = 3.87, P0.05). The result was in accordance with the diagnosis of pulmonary infection. (3) No CO(2) retention, SO(2) and PaCO(2) abnormality caused by asphyxia was observed in 2 groups, PaCO(2) value in A group was close to that in C group (t = 0.89, P0.05). (4) In C group, 9 (64.3%) patients were cured, 5 patients died of pneumonia, wound sepsis, and MODS. In A group, 25 (92.6%) patients were cured, 2 patients died of MODS. Number of cure was obviously larger in A group than in C group (chi(2)= 5.22, P0.05).The advanced airway management has better effects on isolation and humidification of airway, and thinning, drainage, and elimination of sputum. And it can decrease the probability of blind suction and injury to airway, and it prevents pulmonary infection following tracheotomy.

A simple and efficient method has been developed to modify the anode interface of polymer light-emitting diode by incorporating solution-processable graphene oxide as hole transport layer. Interface engineering of ultraviolet-ozone treatment on graphene oxide is demonstrated to dramatically enhance the electrical properties, leading to 15% increase in efficiency compared to that with a traditionally used poly(styrenesulfonate)-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) layer. As determined by photoelectron spectroscopy and impedance spectroscopy, an optimized ultraviolet-ozone treatment results in a more favorable energy level alignment and a decrease in series resistance, which can subsequently facilitate charge injection at the anodic interface.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1), an ancient enzyme and the fastest among many enzymes, is a useful biocatalyst for carbon capture use and storage (CCUS). The use of alkaline buffers and high temperatures are favorable for biomineralization. Hence, the stability of CA under such harsh conditions is extremely important for its practical application. Herein, we report a new thermostable and alkaline-tolerant α-CA (designated as LdCA), with only 26 % identity to bovine CA (BCA), which was identified by genome mining from Lactobacillus delbrueckii CGMCC 8137. It was overexpressed in Escherichia coli in a soluble form and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by His-Trap affinity chromatography. The dimer protein had a subunit molecular weight of 23.8 kDa and showed extremely high stability at pH 6.0–11.0 and 30–60 °C. Its activity was maintained even after incubation at 90 °C for 15 min. The half-lives of the enzyme measured at 30, 40, and 50 °C were 630, 370, and 177 h, respectively. At pH 9.0, 10.0, and 11.0, its half-lives were 105, 65, and 41 min, respectively. LdCA was applied at 50 °C to accelerate the formation of calcium carbonate in a vaterite phase. In summary, a new CA with high thermal and alkaline stability was identified from a general bacterium, demonstrating an effective strategy for discovering new and useful biocatalysts.