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A highly stereoregular polyphosphoester with a rigid cyclohexylene structure in the main chain was constructed via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) in the presence of an organic catalyst system. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis indicated that isotactic polyphosphoesters exhibit a higher glass transition temperature (Tg = 9.9 °C) compared with their atactic counterparts (−20.6 °C), which are much higher than that (−60 to −40 °C) of the previously reported phosphate polymers, making these polymers have great potential in materials science.

This study aimed to establish the role of miR-129 and miR-384-5p in cerebral ischemia-induced apoptosis. Using PC12 cells transfected with miR-129 or miR-384-5p mimics or inhibitors, oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions were applied for 4 h to simulate transient cerebral ischemia. Apoptotic phenotypes were assessed via lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, MTT cell metabolism assay, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The effect of miR overexpression and inhibition was evaluated by protein and mRNA detection of bcl-2 and caspase-3, critical apoptosis factors. Finally, the direct relationship of miR-129 and bcl-2 and miR-384-5p and caspase-3 was measured by luciferase reporter assay. The overexpression of miR-384-5p and miR-129 deficiency significantly enhanced cell viability, reduced LDH release, and inhibited apoptosis. By contrast, overexpression of miR-129 and miR-384-5p deficiency aggravated hypoxia-induced apoptosis and cell injury. miR-129 overexpression significantly reduced mRNA and protein levels of bcl-2 and miR-129 inhibition significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of bcl-2 in hypoxic cells.miR-384-5p overexpression significantly reduced protein levels of caspase-3 while miR-384-5p deficiency significantly increased protein levels of caspase-3. However, no changes were observed in caspase-3 mRNA in either transfection paradigm. Finally, luciferase reporter assay confirmed caspase-3 to be a direct target of miR-384-5p; however, no binding activity was detected between bcl-2 and miR-129.Transient cerebral ischemia induces differential expression of miR-129 and miR-384-5p which influences apoptosis by regulating apoptotic factors caspase-3 and bcl-2, thereby participating in the pathological mechanism of cerebral ischemia, and becoming potential targets for the treatment of ischemic cerebral injury in the future.

The development of solvent-free, metal-free, recyclable organic catalysts is required for the current chemical fixation of carbon dioxide converted into cyclic carbonates. With the goal of reducing the cost, time, and energy consumption for the coupling reaction of CO

In this study, the authors present an incremental multivariate Markov (IMM) chain model. Moreover, the estimation method of the parameters in IMM is proposed. Numerical experiments illustrate the effectiveness of IMM.

// Xiao Bao 1, 2, 3, 4, * , Zhongyi Yang 1, 2, 3, 4, * , Siyang Wang 1, 2, 3, 4 , Yujia Zheng 1, 2, 3, 4 , Mingwei Wang 1, 2, 3, 4 , Bingxin Gu 1, 2, 3, 4 , Jianping Zhang 1, 2, 3, 4 , Yongping Zhang 1, 2, 3, 4 , Yingjian Zhang 1, 2, 3, 4 1 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China 2 Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China 3 Center for Biomedical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China 4 Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai 200032, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Yingjian Zhang, e-mail: yjzhang111@aliyun.com Keywords: nasopharyngeal carcinoma, nude mouse, 18 F-ML-10, animal-PET/CT, irradiation sensitivity Received: June 19, 2015 Accepted: February 16, 2016 Published: March 03, 2016 ABSTRACT Previous studies have reported that the radiosensitivity is associated with apoptosis. Hereby, we aimed to investigate the value of 18 F-ML-10 PET/CT, which selectively targeted cells undergoing apoptosis, in predicting radiosensitivity of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) xenografts. We used CNE1 (highly differentiated) and CNE2 (poorly differentiated) NPC cell lines to construct tumor models, which had very different radiosensitivities. After irradiation, the volumes of CNE2 tumors decreased significantly while those of CNE1 tumors increased. In 18 F-ML-10 imaging, the values of tumor/muscle (T/M) between CNE1 and CNE2 mice were statistically different at both 24 h and 48 h after irradiation. Besides, ΔT/M 1-0 and ΔT/M 2-0 of CNE2 mice were higher than those of CNE1 mice, demonstrating obvious discrepancy. Furthermore, we observed obvious changes of radioactive distribution in CNE2 group. On the contrary, T/M of 18 F-FDG in irradiation group revealed no obvious change in both CNE1 and CNE2 groups. In conclusion, 18 F-ML-10 animal PET/CT showed its potential to predict radiosensitivity in NPC.

The purpose of the preliminary study was to investigate the value of 18F-FLT micro-PET/CT in predicting radiosensitivity of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) xenografts in nude mice models. Twelve BALB/c-nu nude mice were randomly divided into two groups. They were subcutaneously injected with either CNE1 or CNE2 cell suspension. Xenograft volumes were measured after tumor formation. When the tumors reached nearly 10 mm in diameter, they received 15-Gy irradiation. Before and 24 h after irradiation, mice were performed with 18F-FLT micro-PET/CT. The region of interest (ROI) was manually drawn, and the percent of injected dose per gram of the tumor and muscle in the ROIs was recorded. Tumor-to-muscle ratio (T/M) was calculated and compared with volume changes. Additionally, we also used ten untreated mice as control group. After irradiation, CNE2 tumors decreased significantly while CNE1 tumors continuously grew and became stable after 1 week. However, in control group, CNE1 and CNE2 tumors continuously enlarged in the observed time. Therefore, we could regard CNE2 group as irradiation responder while CNE1 group as non-responder. In irradiation group, the value of T/M before irradiation (T/M 0) of CNE1 mice was statistically lower than CNE2 mice (1.62 ± 0.38 versus 5.57 ± 1.30; P = 0.004). Besides, T/M decreased significantly in CNE2 group after irradiation (5.57 ± 1.30 versus 3.59 ± 1.06; P

Compact layout is a problem widely faced in many branches of science, engineering, is also the key point in lightweight design of product. With the perspective of digital design we divided the layout procedure into three stages-only outers, outer-inner, more objects involved-based on (convex hull plus rubber band) CPR. Motion analysis in each stage is done respectively according to physics principles. Rules of Multi-Object collision response are built in two forms, vertex-edge and edge-edge. Objects motions are determined by their motion analysis and collision response rules. An example of Multi-Object compact layout in stimulation platform is given and feasibility of the method is confirmed.

There is an increasing need to develop non-invasive molecular imaging strategies for visualizing and quantifying apoptosis status of diseases (especially for cancer) for diagnosis and monitoring treatment response. Since externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS) is one of the early molecular events during apoptosis, Annexin B1 (AnxB1), a member of Annexins family with high affinity toward the head group of PS, could be a potential positron emission tomography (PET) imaging probe for imaging cell death process after labeled by positron-emitting nuclides, such as (18)F. In the present study, we investigated a novel PET probe, (18)F-labeled Annexin B1 ((18)F-AnxB1), for apoptosis imaging. (18)F-AnxB1 was prepared reliably by conjugating AnxB1 with a (18)F-tag, N-succinimidyl 4-[(18)F]fluorobenzoate ([(18)F]SFB), in a radiolabeling yield of about 20 % within 40 min. The in vitro binding of (18)F-AnxB1 with apoptotic cells induced by anti-Fas antibody showed twofold increase compared to those without treatment, confirmed by flow cytometric analysis with AnxV-FITC/PI staining. Stability tests demonstrated (18)F-AnxB1 was rather stable in vitro and in vivo without degradation. The serial (18)F-AnxB1 PET/CT scans in healthy rats outlined its biodistribution and pharmacokinetics, indicating a rapid renal clearance and predominant accumulation into kidney and bladder at 2 h p.i. (18)F-AnxB1 PET/CT imaging was successfully applied to visualize in vivo apoptosis sites in tumor induced by chemotherapy and in kidney simulated by ischemia-reperfusion injury. The high-contrast images were obtained at 2 h p.i. to delineate apoptotic tumor. Apoptotic region could be still identified by (18)F-AnxB1 PET 4 h p.i., despite the high probe retention in kidneys. In summary, we have developed (18)F-AnxB1 as a PS-specific PET probe for the apoptosis detection and quantification which could have broad applications from disease diagnosis to treatment monitoring, especially in the cases of cancer.

Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) is a rare complication of foreign-body ingestion but is often life threatening.Between July 2006 and July 2009, four patients (two male and two female, age between 54 and 62 years old) with AEF were treated in our center. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established in all cases. The infected aorta was resected and replaced with aortic Dacron graft. The esophagus was mobilized and removed, and the digestive tract was reconstructed 1-2 months later after the first operation, by performing anastomosis of the esophagus and stomach at the neck.All four cases were treated successfully and survived up to the days when this article was written.It might be a safer way to perform this surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Thorough surgical debridement should be done, including resection of thoracic esophagus, adequate irrigation and flushing, and full draining of the chest cavity. Reconstruction of the digestive tract in the second stage of this two-stage operation should be the safest choice.