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Conventional plasma electrolytic oxidation treatments produce oxide coatings with micron-scale discharge pores, resulting in insulation and wear and corrosion resistance far below that expected of highly dense Al2O3 coatings. The introduction of cathodic polarization during the plasma electrolytic oxidation process, especially when the applied cathode-to-anode current ratio (Rpn) is greater than 1, triggers a unique plasma discharge phenomenon known as "soft sparking". The soft spark discharge mode significantly improves the densification of the anode ceramic layer and facilitates the formation of the high-temperature α-Al2O3 phase within the coating. Although the soft spark discharge phenomenon has been known for a long time, the growth behavior of the coating under its discharge mode still needs to be studied and improved. In this paper, the growth behavior of the coating before and after soft spark discharge is investigated with the help of the micro-morphology, phase composition and element distribution of a homemade fixture. The results show that the ceramic layer grows mainly along the oxide–electrolyte direction before the soft spark discharge transformation; after the soft spark discharge, the ceramic layer grows along the oxide–substrate direction. It was also unexpectedly found that, under soft spark discharge, the silicon element only exists on the outside of the coating, which is caused by the large size and slow migration of SiO32−, which can only enter the ceramic layer and participate in the reaction through the discharge channel generated by the strong discharge. In addition, it was also found that the relative phase content of α-Al2O3 in the coating increased from 0.487 to 0.634 after 10 min of rotary spark discharge, which is an increase of 30.2% compared with that before the soft spark discharge transition. On the other hand, the relative phase content of α-Al2O3 in the coating decreased from 0.487 to 0.313 after 20 min of transfer spark discharge, which was a 55.6% decrease compared to that before the soft spark discharge transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlation between negative pulse and the black electrolyte properties of magnesium alloy micro-arc oxidation and the treated area was investigated by introducing a negative pulse electric field. The physical phase composition, microstructure, elemental distribution, and content of the coating were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the introduction of negative pulses favored the generation of MgO and MgSiO3 contents in the coatings, and an increase in the MgO phase was found in the coatings formed in the failed electrolytes; the microporous size and microcracks of the coatings were gradually and significantly reduced; the average consumption of Cu ions was 0.0453 g/L·dm2, which is only 26% of that in the unipolar condition; the introduction of the negative pulses significantly improved the "anomalous consumption" of Cu ions. The introduction of negative pulse can significantly improve the "abnormal consumption" of copper ions, which is attributed to the change in the electric field by negative pulse, which makes the cathode-enriched Cu ions migrate to the anode and reduces the reduction and precipitation of Cu ions at the cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is reported to cause obesity and hypothyroidism in both humans and rodents, but the underlying mechanisms were largely unknown. This study was designed to clarify the effects and the mechanisms of DEHP on the pathogenesis of obesity and hypothyroidism and to discover the relationship between them.Methods: Male C3H/He mice were treated with DEHP for 5 weeks, and the body weight, food intake, and body temperature were recorded during the exposure. After exposure, key organs and serum were analyzed by Q-PCR, Western blot, and ELISA.Results: DEHP induced significant body weight gain and adipogenesis in all exposure groups except for 0.05 mg/kg. Marked hyperphagia and daytime hypothermia were also observed, which were accompanied by disturbed hypothalamic neuropeptide expression and reduced BAT UCP1 expression. In addition, WAT lipid metabolism was significantly deceased at low dose (0.5 mg/kg) and increased at high dose (50 and 200 mg/kg). DEHP also induced hypothyroidism, which was probably attributed to the combined effects of hepatic CAR activation and hypothalamic TRH inhibition induced by hypothalamic leptin resistance.Conclusions: Chronic DEHP exposure could induce obesity by interrupting energy homeostasis, which is probably due to the synergistic effects of hypothyroidism and hypothalamic leptin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous clinical studies have shown good efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicinal herbal water extract Chan-Yu-Bao-Yuan-Tang (CYBYT) in lung cancer patients. In this study, CYBYT’s effects on proliferation and apoptosis of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line SPC-A-1 cultured in vitro were explored. An XTT assay, cell cycle analysis, Annexin V-FITC staining and Western blot were applied to identify the viability of cells, cell cycle arrest, stages of apoptosis, and signaling proteins, respectively. The results showed that CYBYT inhibited the growth of SPC-A-1 cells by reducing the cells in G0/G1 phase but increasing them in S phase in a concentration-dependent manner, and inducing apoptosis, whereas it had no significant inhibitory effects on the normal human IMR-90 fibroblasts. Furthermore, early and total induction of apoptosis was positively correlated with the concentration of CYBYT in SPC-A-1 cells, and the rate of total apoptosis was greater in the CYBYT 100 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL groups than that of the positive control 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) group. Moreover, CYBYT upregulated bax, cleaved caspase-3 protein expression, downregulated bcl-2 protein expression, and released mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytosol in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Our findings indicated that CYBYT could significantly inhibit growth and induce apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line SPC-A-1. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To investigate the nutritional status of iodine and the prevalence of thyroid carcinoma of residents in Zhoushan Archipelago, and to explore the related factors influencing the prevalence of thyroid carcinoma., Methods: The residents in Zhoushan Archipelago were selected by cluster random sampling. The subjects were surveyed by questionnaire, their thyroids were examined by B-ultrasonography, the thyroid function and the levels of urine iodine were analyzed. Pathological diagnosis was conducted to the patients suspected of thyroid carcinoma., Results: The median levels of urine iodine in urban residents, famers, salt-makers, fishermen from Zhoushan and buddhists from Putuoshan were 320.7, 188.9, 122.2, 193.6 and 271.7 microg/L respectively, while the prevalence rates of thyroid carcinoma were 215/100 000, 398/100 000 0, 407/100 000, 829/100 000,340/100 000, respectively; The age or a higher level of hTSH of a person were risk factors for suffering from thyroid carcinoma., Conclusion: The iodine intake of residents in ZhouShan Archipelago is adequate and the prevalence rate of thyroid carcinoma is high. Serum hTSH could be used as a predictor for the risk of thyroid carcinoma.

Background and Objective: It has been proven that the expression of ZO-1 (zonula occluden-1) was correlated with the growth and metastasis of cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between ZO-1 gene expression and clinicopathologic parameters and the survival rates in the patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Methods: The expression levels of ZO-1 gene in 101 patients with NSCLC and lung tissues of 61 patients with benign lung disease were detected by real-time PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemical techniques., Results: There was a significant statistic difference of ZO-1 mRNA expression levels between carcinoma group and control group (P < 0.01). In carcinoma group, adjacent group and control group, ZO-1 protein expression levels were with significantly statistic difference between each other (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). There was a significantly statistic difference between ZO-1 mRNA expression levels in survival during 2 years follow-up group and death during 2 years follow-up group (t=-5.61, P < 0.01)., Conclusions: ZO-1 is a valuable predictive marker for NSCLC patients.

Previous clinical studies have shown the safety and efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicinal herbal aqueous extract Chan-Yu-Bao-Yuan-Tang (CYBYT) for the treatment of lung and cervical cancer patients. Used in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), CYBYT has been observed to be particularly effective in cancer treatment. Herein, the combined anticancer effect and the underlying mechanisms of 5-Fu and CYBYT in the human lung cancer cell line A549 and the human cervical cancer cell line HeLa were investigated in vitro. The MTT assay, Annexin V-FITC staining and Western blotting were applied to identify cell viability, the stages of apoptosis and the expression of signaling proteins, respectively. The results indicated that CYBYT and 5-Fu, alone or in combination, significantly inhibited proliferation and induced marked apoptosis in A549 and HeLa cells, but had no significant inhibitory effects on normal human IMR-90 fibroblasts. The rate of mid and late apoptosis or necrosis was greater after 5-Fu treatment compared to treatment with CYBYT or the combination of agents; however, the early apoptotic rate showed opposite results. CYBYT and 5-Fu, alone or in combination, up-regulated cleaved caspase-3 expression in a time-dependent manner, with CYBYT being more effective than 5-Fu. Taken together, our data show that the pro-apoptotic activity of the two-drug combination was much stronger than that of CYBYT or 5-Fu alone; CYBYT combined with 5-Fu had synergistic effects at lower concentrations and promoted apoptosis, while the combined treatment also decreased the cytotoxic side effects of 5-Fu.

As a key role in mussel defense system, Mytilin is an important antibacterial peptide isolated from the mussel serum. The structural and functional researches on Mytilin showed that the fragment connecting two beta-sheets in a stable beta-hairpin structure was probably required for antimicrobial activity. To elucidate the structural features and the antimicrobial activity of this fragment, we re-designed and synthesized two peptides corresponding to the main mimic structures of Mytilin-1 from Mytilus coruscus, we named these two peptides Mytilin Derived Peptide-1 and Mytilin Derived Peptide-2, respectively. Using a liquid growth inhibition assay, we evaluated their activity towards Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungus. The results showed that both peptides can inhibit the growth of Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungus. Besides, these two peptides showed high stability in heat water and human serum. These works laid the foundation for further research on the molecular mechanism of Mytilin and for further exploitation of antibacterial peptides with lower molecular mass and more stable structure.