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The mechanism driving dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) is unclear. Diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) allows for noninvasively assessing the microstructure of the entire visual pathway and may facilitate a better understanding of the mechanism of DON.To assess microstructural changes of the whole visual pathway and to investigate the potential mechanism of trans-synaptic damage（TSD） pathogenesis in DON with DTI.Cross-sectional.Sixty-four patients with bilateral thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), 30 with and 34 without DON, and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs).3 T/DTI (A single-shot diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging sequence).Differences in DTI parameters including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) in each segment (optic nerve, tract, and radiation) of the entire visual pathway among the groups were compared. The parameters of visual evoked potentials (VEPs), visual field tests, and mean retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL) thickness on optical coherence tomography were also compared across patients.Student's t-test, chi-square test; ANOVA with post-hoc testing, interclass correlation coefficient, and correlation analysis. Significance level: P 0.05.TAO patients with DON showed significantly reduced mRNFL thickness and abnormal VEPs. There was a tendency for gradually reduced FA and AD, and increased RD and MD from HCs, with non-DON to with DON in optic nerve and tract, statistically. For radiation, the RD and MD showed statistical increase, the AD and FA just showed numerical decrease (P = 0.119 and 0.059, respectively). For DON, the FA and MD of visual pathway segments showed correlations with abnormal VEPs.DTI may be a useful tool for detecting microstructural changes in the entire visual pathway in DON. The changes in RNFL thickness and DTI parameters suggested TSD as a potential pathogenic mechanism of DON.4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 5.

In this article, a novel vertical wire-bonding interconnect structure is intelligently modeled and optimized with general artificial neural network (GRNN) and genetic algorithm (GA) for multilayered system in package. A compensation structure is constructed with a hybrid inductive and capacitive technique, while a capacitive stripline with series inductive short-end via is designed underneath the 50-Ω transmission line. The GRNN algorithm is employed to build the electromagnetic model databases during the procedure of GA optimization. In comparison with the conventional optimization algorithm, the output performances can be directly achieved with collaboratively combined methods, which can significantly reduce the calculation time. From the measurement results, the return loss is improved significantly while the parasitic inductive behavior of the bonding wire is eliminated with the presented design. Moreover, compared with the traditional compensation techniques, no additional area is occupied on the surface plane of the wire-bonding interconnection, which is more suitable for the high-integrated circuit system.

The hydrogel wound dressings are mostly sheet-like and do not possess adhesive properties, so it is often difficult for them to adhere well to the skin tissues and fit completely with the irregularly shaped wounds or deep wounds, thereby affecting their therapeutic effects. Herein, the chitosan derivative-based mussel-inspired hydrogels have been developed to overcome these obstacles. Specifically, the principle of adhesion of marine mussel was imitated to synthesize catechol-modified chitosan (CMC), which was potentially used as the raw material to prepare the mussel-inspired hydrogels, that can contribute to the excellent adhesive property and make the hydrogels adhere well to the wound sites. The o-diphenyl groups in CMC could be easily oxidized to form o-diquinone to further form a covalent binding with amino groups (–NH2), or can directly form coordination binding with Fe3+.This strong covalent and coordination binding causes the hydrogels to possess a complex spatial structure, which facilitates the hydrogels to display good swelling properties, drug loading and release properties. Furthermore, the total saponins of Panax notoginseng were loaded in the hydrogels and the therapeutic effects of drug-loaded hydrogel were investigated in the model of full-thickness skin injury in mice. The wound healing rate was observed to be as high as 92.5% without exhibiting any scarring. Overall, our findings provided a novel strategy for the preparation of hydrogels for therapeutic applications.

A pair of two-dimensional (2D) isostructural coordination polymers (CPs), {[Co(2,3-qldc)(H2O)]} n (1) and {[Mn(2,3-qldc)(H2O)]} n (2), where 2,3-H2qldc = quinoline-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized through IR spectroscopy, elemental and thermal analysis, power X-ray diffraction, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results have revealed that the fully deprotonated 2,3-H2qldc ligand connects the Co(II)/Mn(II) atoms with a μ 3-bridge to form a square-wave 2D network, which is further extended into 3D stacks through O–H···O, C–H···O hydrogen bonds and π···π stacking interactions. Topologically, 1 or 2 can be simplified as a 4-connected sql type with a Schläfli symbol {44·62} and a Shubnikov tetragonal plane net, or as a 3-connected fes type with a Schläfli symbol {4·82} and a Shubnikov plane net. The thermal stability and the solid state fluorescence properties of 1 and 2 were investigated.

Compared to other crops, maize production demands relatively high temperatures. However, temperatures exceeding 35°C lead to adverse effects on maize yield. High temperatures (≥ 35°C) are consistently experienced by summer maize during its reproductive growth stage in the North China Plain, which is likely to cause irreversible crop damage. This study investigated the effects of elevating temperature (ET) treatment on the yield component of summer maize, beginning at the 9th unfolding leaf stage and ending at the tasseling stage. Results demonstrated that continuous ET led to a decrease in the elongation rate and activity of silks and an elongated interval between anthesis and silking stages, and eventually decreased grain number at ear tip and reduced yield. Although continuous ET before tasseling damaged the anther structure, reduced pollen activity, delayed the start of the pollen shedding stage, and shortened the pollen shedding time, it was inferred, based on phenotypical and physiological traits, that continuous ET after the 9th unfolding leaf stage influenced ears and therefore may have more significant impacts. Overall, when maize plants were exposed to ET treatment in the ear reproductive development stage, the growth of ears and tassels was blocked, which increased the occurrence of barren ear tips and led to large yield losses.

Nowadays, although the exploration of proton conductive materials has ranged from traditional sulfonated polymers to novel crystalline solid materials such as MOFs, COFs, and HOFs, research on crystalline cluster-based organic framework materials is very limited. Here, a pair of homologues Cu(I)-based organic framework containing a Cu12S6 cluster, [Cu12(MES)6(H2O)3]n (1) and {[Cu12(MPS)6(H2O)4]·6H2O}n (2) (H2MES = 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate acid and H2MPS = 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate acid), were hydrothermally synthesized under the same conditions and fully investigated for their proton conduction. Their structures were characterized by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analyses, and PXRD measurements. The two MOFs show significant structural differences in the topological fashions. MOF 1 has a three-dimensional network and can be simplified into two topology types: a 10-connected gpu structure with a Schlafli symbol (312·426·57) and a 3,12-connected new topology with a point symbol {3·42}2{310·418·519·614·74·9}. MOF 2 also has a three-dimensional framework and topology as a 6-connected pcu primitive cubic network with a Schlafli symbol {412·63}. The two MOFs show different proton conduction parameters, but both indicate temperature-dependent proton conductive features. Intriguingly, the two MOFs exhibit high water stability and their proton conductivities are 3.63 × 10−5 and 2.75 × 10−5 S cm−1 under 333 K and 98% RH, respectively. The suggested mechanism for the synthesis for 1 and 2, and their proton conductivity performance comparison has been discussed in detail. In addition, Hirshfeld surface and fingerprint analysis on the two MOFs were computed to compare contacts between the molecules, which is essential for analyzing the relationships between their hydrogen bonds and proton conductivity properties.

Isoflurane (ISO) elicits protective effects on ischemia-induced brain injury. We investigated whether sub-anesthetic (0.7%) ISO post-conditioning attenuates the inflammation and apoptosis in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-insulted co-cultures (microglia and neurons) in vitro and the brain injury of the middle cerebral arterial occlusion (MCAO) rat. We demonstrated that ISO augmented the viability of OGD-treated microglia and neurons. ISO reduced the expression and activation of COX2 and iNOS in OGD-challenged microglia. ISO repressed the production of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in OGD-exposed microglia. ISO also decreased nucleosomal fragmentation and caspase-3 activity but increased mitochondrial membrane potential in OGD-stimulated microglia and neurons. Mechanistically, ISO suppressed OGD-induced microglial inflammation by blocking ROS-regulated p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and hampered OGD-triggered microglial apoptosis in a ROS- or NO-dependent fashion. In vivo results with MCAO rats were partly consistent with the in vitro observation. These findings indicate that sub-anesthetic ISO post-conditioning abates the inflammation and apoptosis in OGD-stimulated rat microglia and the apoptosis of OGD-exposed neurons and the brain injuries of MCAO rats, suggesting it as a potentially effective therapeutic approach for ischemic brain damages.

Purpose Fast-track surgery is a developing trend in medical care. It is a core challenge for clinical anesthesia to reasonably reduce the dosage of opioids and relieve postoperative pain. Serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) is a novel analgesic technique with such advantages as easy operation, good safety, and few side effects. Patients and methods In total, 60 patients aged 18 to 65 years who were diagnosed with lung cancer and scheduled for thoracoscopic resection were randomly assigned to receive SABP or local infiltration anesthesia. We analyzed the time within 48 hrs after operation to visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score of 4 or higher and the number of patients requiring additional analgesics at 6 hrs and 12 hrs after operation. Results The estimated median time to VAS ≥4 was 4 hrs (1.32 to 6.68) in the control group and 11 hrs (6.71 to 15.29) in the SAPB group (log-rank test: P=0.008). The number of patients requiring additional analgesics at 6- and 12 hrs after operation was significantly lower in the SAPB group than that in the control group (P Conclusion Compared with local infiltration, SAPB provided extended postoperative analgesia after thoracoscopic surgery with reduced consumption of additional analgesics in the early postoperative stage.

In this study, we investigated the role of ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) in the growth and progression of gastric cancer (GC). USP22 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in GC tissue samples and GC cell lines than in adjacent noncancerous tissue samples and a normal gastric mucosal epithelial cell line (GES1), respectively. USP22 knockdown significantly decreased in vitro survival, proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of GC cells compared with the controls. Western blot analysis of control and USP22-silenced GC cells showed that USP22 modulates the c-Myc/NAMPT/SIRT1-dependent FOXO1 and YAP signaling pathways. Subcutanenous injection of USP22-silenced GC cells into SCID mice generated significantly smaller xenograft tumors than did control cells. Moreover, USP22-silenced GC cells showed less lung metastasis than the controls following tail vein injection in SCID mice. In addition, high USP22 expression correlated positively with tumor size, advanced stage and metastasis, and correlated negatively with tumor differentiation and prognosis in GC patients. These results show that USP22 regulates growth and progression of GC via the c-Myc/NAMPT/SIRT1-dependent FOXO1 and YAP signaling pathways.

A fluorescent Zn(II)-based coordination polymer, {[Zn(Hssa)(1,4-bib)(H2O)](H2O)}n (1), has been successfully constructed from 5-sulfosalicylic acid (H3ssa) and 1,4-bis(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzene (1,4-bib) with zinc acetate by solvothermal conditions, which was further characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, and thermogravimetric analysis. Single crystal X-ray structure analysis reveals that 1 crystallizes in a 1D zigzag chain. Of particular interest is that the alternating 1D zigzag chains have been orderly staggered in a 2D parallel arrangement in the crystal structure. These neighboring chains are further connected through π⋯π stacking interactions and O H⋯O hydrogen bonds, resulting in the formation of a 3D supramolecular structure. Furthermore, the photoluminescent properties for metal cations were studied at room temperature. 1 shows intense fluorescence in the solid state and exhibits a highly sensitive and selectivity for Fe3+ through fluorescence quenching effect in aqueous solutions at room temperature.

Soil nitrogen (N) is critical to ecosystem services and environmental quality. Hotspots of soil N in areas with high soil moisture have been widely studied, however, their spatial distribution and their linkage with soil N variation have seldom been examined at a catchment scale in areas with low soil water content. We investigated the spatial variation of soil N and its hotspots in a mixed land cover catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau and used multiple statistical methods to evaluate the effects of the critical environmental factors on soil N variation and potential hotspots. The results demonstrated that land cover, soil moisture, elevation, plan curvature and flow accumulation were the dominant factors affecting the spatial variation of soil nitrate (NN), while land cover and slope aspect were the most important factors impacting the spatial distribution of soil ammonium (AN) and total nitrogen (TN). In the studied catchment, the forestland, gully land and grassland were found to be the potential hotspots of soil NN, AN and TN accumulation, respectively. We concluded that land cover and slope aspect could be proxies to determine the potential hotspots of soil N at the catchment scale. Overall, land cover was the most important factor that resulted in the spatial variations of soil N. The findings may help us to better understand the environmental factors affecting soil N hotspots and their spatial variation at the catchment scale in terrestrial ecosystems.

Nowadays, although the exploration of proton conductive materials has ranged from traditional sulfonated polymers to novel crystalline solid materials such as MOFs, COFs, and HOFs, research on crystalline cluster-based organic framework materials is very limited. Here, a pair of homologues Cu(i)-based organic framework containing a Cu12S6 cluster, [Cu12(MES)6(H2O)3]n (1) and {[Cu12(MPS)6(H2O)4]·6H2O}n (2) (H2MES = 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate acid and H2MPS = 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate acid), were hydrothermally synthesized under the same conditions and fully investigated for their proton conduction. Their structures were characterized by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analyses, and PXRD measurements. The two MOFs show significant structural differences in the topological fashions. MOF 1 has a three-dimensional network and can be simplified into two topology types: a 10-connected gpu structure with a Schläfli symbol (312·426·57) and a 3,12-connected new topology with a point symbol {3·42}2{310·418·519·614·74·9}. MOF 2 also has a three-dimensional framework and topology as a 6-connected pcu primitive cubic network with a Schläfli symbol {412·63}. The two MOFs show different proton conduction parameters, but both indicate temperature-dependent proton conductive features. Intriguingly, the two MOFs exhibit high water stability and their proton conductivities are 3.63 × 10-5 and 2.75 × 10-5 S cm-1 under 333 K and 98% RH, respectively. The suggested mechanism for the synthesis for 1 and 2, and their proton conductivity performance comparison has been discussed in detail. In addition, Hirshfeld surface and fingerprint analysis on the two MOFs were computed to compare contacts between the molecules, which is essential for analyzing the relationships between their hydrogen bonds and proton conductivity properties.

The paper shows the determination of the transmission of one dimensional metal-dielectric photonic band gap materials (1D-MD PBG) theoretically and experimentally. It has been found that the location and bandwidth of transmission can be tailored by initiatively adopting a suitable structure. We proposed a special 1D-MD PBG obtained by magnetron sputtering, in which each layer of metal film is not continuous. These structures have a number of advantages such as high transmittance (55% or better), broad bandwidth (the full width at half of maximum ranges from 400 nm to 780 nm) and high electrical conductivity (the sheet resistance can be lower than 0.98 Ω /square). Meanwhile, it has been also theoretically and experimental indicated that both the light transmittance and electrical conductivity could be improved effectively by using the (pqp)N structure.

Cr (chromium, with common valence states of III and VI) is one of the common broiler feed additives. Liver injury and metabolic disorders could be caused by Cr

Purpose Hyperuricemia is an important potential pathogenic factor for hypertension, cardiovascular disease and stroke. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of hyperuricemia and its relationship to lifestyle characteristics and dietary habits in centenarians and near-centenarians. Patients and methods In total, 966 centenarians and 788 near-centenarians were included. Community-based surveys were conducted to collect information about lifestyle. Blood examinations were performed using enzymatic assays. T-tests and χ2 tests were used to investigate significant indicators of hyperuricemia, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the related risk factors. A comprehensive analysis of nineteen modifiable factors, including lifestyle characteristics, dietary habits, general characteristics and blood test indexes, was conducted. Results The prevalence of hyperuricemia was 29.02%. The percentage of men, waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), levels of total protein (TP), alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum homocysteine, serum uric acid, serum urea and serum creatinine, passive smoking, alcohol consumption, snoring, preference for fried flavors, and meat, seafood and vegetable consumption were significantly different between the hyperuricemia group and the normouricemia group (p

In this paper, we employ the auxiliary principle technique to study a generalized nonlinear mixed quasi-variational-like inequality in Hilbert spaces. Fist, we establish the existence and uniqueness of solution of the corresponding auxiliary generalized nonlinear mixed quasi-variational-like inequality by making use of minimizing sequence of a convex function. Then based on the existence result, we construct an iterative algorithm for finding approximate solution to the exact solution of the generalized nonlinear mixed quasi-variational-like inequality. Our results extend, improve and unify some known results in the literature.

An optical refractive index (RI) sensor, possessing excellent sensing characteristics in sensitivity, resolution and SNR, is proposed by using a composite subwavelength grating (CSG). The CSG has a sandwich structure: the interlayer is a low-RI grating layer (LRGL), and the two sides are arranged with a high-RI grating layer. The light-coupling condition of the CSG is sensitive to RI changes of the liquid sample. The calculated results indicate that the sensitivity mainly depends on the CSG period, and the resolution and SNR can be improved by regulating the thickness and position of the LRGL. By optimizing these parameters, finally, an averaged sensitivity of ∼273°/RIU and resolution ranging from 0.1° to 0.15° are given by this CSG, and there is a minimal reflectance of ∼1% adjacent to the resonant peak.

Background Panax notoginseng flower saponins (PNFS) are great contributions towards the biological activity of Panax notoginseng flower (PNF). However, some ginsenoside monomers can be hydrolyzed by the acidic environment in the stomach, resulting in a decrease in their oral bioavailability. Therefore, we created PNFS enteric-coated sustained-release pellets (E-PNFS) to improve their oral bioavailability. Methods The PNFS uncoated pellets (N-PNFS) and E-PNFS were prepared by fluidized bed coating technology using Eudragit NE30D as the sustained-release agent and Opadry as the enteric-coated agent. The single-factor investigation was used to determine the optimal prescription. The E-PNFS were visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and evaluated for roundness, bulk density, resting angle, hygroscopicity and stability. The plasma drug concentration in SD rats was determined by the UPLC-MS/MS method, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by Phoenix WinNonlin5.2 software. The in vivo absorption fraction was calculated by Wagner-Nelson method The in vivo absorption and in vitro release percentages were linearly regressed by the least square method. Results According to the prescription screened out by the single factor investigation, E-PNFS was successfully prepared, and had good release properties in vitro along with a good measure for roundness, flowability and stability. Compared with N-PNFS, E-PNFS showed decreased Cmax, increased AUC, and an extended MRT and Tmax. Rb1, Rb2, Rb3 and Rc in E-PNFS showed a good correlation between in vitro release and in vivo absorption. Conclusions The successfully prepared E-PNFS were able to improve the oral bioavailability of PNFS in SD rats in general. The in vitro release behaviors of Rb1, Rb2, Rb3 and Rc in E-PNFS correlated well with the in vivo absorption properties.

// Ling Qin 1,* , Zhi-qiang Yao 2,* , Qi Chang 3,* , Ya-li Zhao 2,* , Ning-ning Liu 2,* , Xiao-shan Zhu 2 , Qin-qin Liu 2 , Li-feng Wang 4 , An-gang Yang 5 , Chun-fang Gao 2 and Jun-tang Li 2,3,4,5 1 Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China 2 Centre of Inflammation and Cancer Research, 150th Central Hospital of PLA, Luoyang, Henan, China 3 Centre of Biomaterial and Biophysics Research, Institute of Training Medicine, 150th Central Hospital of PLA, Luoyang, Henan, China 4 State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 5 State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jun-tang Li, email: // Chun-fang Gao, email: // Ling Qin, email: // Keywords : chronic colitis, swimming, inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, Immunology and Microbiology Section, Immune response, Immunity Received : March 28, 2016 Accepted : December 15, 2016 Published : December 21, 2016 Abstract Increasing evidence suggests that regular physical exercise suppresses chronic inflammation. However, the potential inhibitory effects of swimming on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced chronic colitis, and its underlying mechanisms, remain unclear. In this study, rats were orally administered DSS to induce chronic colitis, and subsequently treated with or without swimming exercise. A 7-week swimming program (1 or 1.5 hours per day, 5 days per week) ameliorated DSS-caused colon shortening, colon barrier disruption, spleen enlargement, serum LDH release, and reduction of body weight gain. Swimming for 1.5 hours per day afforded greater protection than 1 hour per day. Swimming ameliorated DSS-induced decrease in crypt depth, and increases in myeloperoxidase activity, infiltration of Ly6G + neutrophils and TNF-α- and IFN-γ-expressing CD3 + T cells, as well as fecal calprotectin and lactoferrin. Swimming inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production and decreased the protein expression of phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB p65 and cyclooxygenase 2, whereas it elevated interleukin-10 levels. Swimming impeded the generation of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and nitric oxide; however, it boosted glutathione levels, total antioxidant capacity, and superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities. Additionally, swimming decreased caspase-3 activity and expression of apoptosis-inducing factor, cytochrome c, Bax, and cleaved-caspase-3, but increased Bcl-2 levels. Overall, these results suggest that swimming exerts beneficial effects on DSS-induced chronic colitis by modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

In this study, a one-dimensional steady-state mathematical model of radon transport in fragmented uranium ore was established according to Fick's law and radon transfer theory in an air-water interface. The model was utilized to obtain an analytical solution for radon concentration in the air-water, two-phase system under steady state conditions, as well as a corresponding radon exhalation rate calculation formula. We also designed a one-dimensional experimental apparatus for simulating radon diffusion migration in the uranium ore with various water levels to verify the mathematical model. The predicted results were in close agreement with the measured results, suggesting that the proposed model can be readily used to determine radon concentrations and exhalation rates in fragmented uranium ore with varying water levels.

Objective To investigate the effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) on macrophage polarization under hypoxia. Methods hUC-MSCs were obtained by explants adherent culture and cultured under normoxia (21% O2) and hypoxia (5% O2). The multi-directional differentiation of hUC-MSCs was observed by osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation induction. Live/death staining was performed to detect the cell viability, and ELISA was executed to detect the protein content in supernatant of hUC-MSCs. Transwell chamber was employed to co-culture the hUC-MSCs cultured under normoxia and hypoxia and macrophage (THP-1) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (IPS), then the polarization of THP-1 was detected by immunofluorescence, and the secretions of inflammatory factor and anti-inflammatory factor of THP-1 were detected by ELISA. Results hUC-MSCs cultured under hypoxia showed the ability of osteogenic and adipogenic multi-directional differentiation. Live/death staining showed the high cell viability of hUC-MSCs cultured under normoxia and hypoxia. The expression levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) were significantly higher in the hUC-MSCs cultured under hypoxia than in those cultured under normoxia. hUCMSCs cultured under hypoxia promoted the polarization of THP-1 to M2, obviously reduced the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β, and increased the expression of IL-10 significantly. Conclusion hUC-MSCs cultured under hypoxia may promote the polarization of THP-1 to M2 and improve the viability of anti-inflammatory. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.07.01

Ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) aberrance has been implicated in several malignancies; however, whether USP22 plays a role in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) remains unclear. Here, we report that USP22 expression is highly elevated in ATC tissues, which positively correlated with tumor size, extracapsular invasion, clinical stages, and poor prognosis of ATC patients. In vitro assays showed that USP22 depletion suppressed ATC cell survival and proliferation by decreasing Rb phosphorylation and cyclin D2, inactivating Akt, and simultaneously upregulating Rb; USP22 silencing restrained cell migration and invasion by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition; USP22 knockdown promoted mitochondrion- mediated and caspase-dependent apoptosis by upregulating Bax and Bid and promoting caspase-3 activation. Consistent with in vitro findings, downregulation of USP22 in ATC cells impeded tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. These results raise the applicability for USP22 as a useful predictor of ATC prognosis and a potential therapeutic target for ATC.

// Jun-Tang Li 1,2,3,* , Wei-Qi Wang 4,5,6,* , Ling Wang 7,* , Ning-Ning Liu 1,* , Ya-Li Zhao 1,* , Xiao-Shan Zhu 1 , Qin-Qin Liu 1 , Chun-Fang Gao 1 , An-Gang Yang 2 and Lin-Tao Jia 3 1 Centre of Inflammation and Cancer Research, 150th Central Hospital of PLA, Luoyang, Henan, China 2 State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 3 State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 4 State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China 5 National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China 6 Shaanxi Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China 7 Department of Anesthesiology, 150th Central Hospital of PLA, Luoyang, Henan, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jun-Tang Li, email: // An-Gang Yang, email: // Lin-Tao Jia, email: // Keywords : isoflurane, zymosan, neutrophil, NMDA receptor, TLR2, Immunology and Microbiology Section, Immune response, Immunity Received : September 07, 2015 Accepted : April 18, 2016 Published : April 28, 2016 Abstract Neutrophil release of NO/ONOO – induces endothelial cell barrier dysfunction in inflammatory acute lung injury (ALI). Previous studies using zymosan-triggered inflammation and ALI model revealed that zymosan promotes inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression in neutrophils, and that isoflurane inhibits zymosan-induced oxidative stress and iNOS biosynthesis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. We found here that in zymosan-primed neutrophils, iNOS is transcriptionally activated by NF-κB, whose nuclear translocation is triggered by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and consequently activated p38 MAPK. ROS production is attributed to zymosan-initiated Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling, in which the adaptor MyD88 recruits and activates c-Src, and c-Src activates NADPH oxidase to generate ROS. Subanesthetic isoflurane counteracts the aforementioned zymosan-induced signaling by targeting N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) glutamate receptor and thereby suppressing calcium influx and c-Src activation. Whereas iNOS accelerates NO/ONOO – production in neutrophils which eventually promote protein leak from pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVEC), isoflurane reduced NO/ONOO – release from zymosan-treated neutrophils, and thus relieves trans-PMVEC protein leak. This study provides novel insights into the roles of neutrophils and the underlying mechanisms in zymosan-induced ALI, and has implications for the therapeutic potential of subanesthetic isoflurane in attenuating inflammatory responses causing lung endothelial cell damage.

In this paper, we introduce a split general mixed variational inequality problem, which is a natural extension of a split variational inequality problem, split general quasi-variational inequality problem in Hilbert spaces. Using the resolvent operator technique, we propose a perturbed iterative algorithm for the split general mixed variational inequality problem. Further, we discuss the convergence criteria of the iterative algorithm. The results presented in this paper extend and improve many previously known results in this area.

The radon diffusion coefficient and the free radon production rate are important parameters for describing radon migration in the fragmented uranium ore. In order to determine the two parameters, the pure diffusion migration equation for radon was firstly established and its analytic solution with the two parameters to be determined was derived. Then, a self manufactured experimental column was used to simulate the pure diffusion of the radon, the improved scintillation cell method was used to measure the pore radon concentrations at different depths of the column loaded with the fragmented uranium ore, and the nonlinear least square algorithm was used to inversely determine the radon diffusion coefficient and the free radon production rate. Finally, the solution with the two inversely determined parameters was used to predict the pore radon concentrations at some depths of the column, and the predicted results were compared with the measured results. The results show that the predicted results are in good agreement with the measured results and the numerical inverse method is applicable to the determination of the radon diffusion coefficient and the free radon production rate for the fragmented uranium ore.

In this paper, well-posedness for parametric generalized strong vector quasi-equilibrium problems is studied. The corresponding concept of well-posedness in the generalized sense is also investigated for the parametric generalized strong vector quasi-equilibrium problem. Under some suitable conditions, we establish some characterizations of well-posedness for the parametric generalized strong vector quasi-equilibrium problem.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver of patients who consume little or no alcohol, becomes increasingly common with rapid economic development. Long-term excess fat accumulation leads to NAFLD and represents a global health problem with no effective therapeutic approach. NAFLD is considered to be a series of complex, multifaceted pathological processes involving oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and metabolism. Over the past decades, herbal medicines have garnered growing attention as potential therapeutic agents to prevent and treat NAFLD, due to their high efficacy and low risk of side effects. In this review, we evaluate the use of herbal medicines (including traditional Chinese herbal formulas, crude extracts from medicinal plants, and pure natural products) to treat NAFLD. These herbal medicines are natural resources that can inform innovative drug research and the development of treatments for NAFLD in the future.