Synchronization of time-delayed chemically coupled burst-spiking neurons with correlated noises

Synchronization of two time-delayed chemically coupled neurons with burst-spiking states is studied. Different from the previous study by N. Buric et al. (Phys. Rev. E 78, 036211 (2008)), it is found that exactly synchronous burst-spiking dynamics can occur for small coupling strengths and time delays. The results are confirmed by common time delays and non-equal time delays. When common noise is added to the two neurons, synchronization is enhanced as noise strength is increased. But the results are different for larger time delay and smaller time delay. When noises are correlated, it is found that only strong noises with large correlation coefficient can induce exact synchronization. Even one percent of independent noises can influence synchronization much.

Trends in dietary fiber intake in Chinese aged 45 years and above, 1991-2011

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

To analyze the time trends in total dietary fiber (DF) intake, DF food sources and total DF intake per 1000 kcal (DF density) in Chinese adults aged 45 years and above in the past 20 years.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

We used the data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) collected in 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011. Adults who were aged 45 years and above were included in each round. Water-insoluble DF intake was calculated by substituting the water-insoluble DF content of each food in the Chinese Food Composition Table (FCT) for food intake. Total DF was calculated according to the convert index, which indicates the ratio between total DF and water-insoluble DF for each food group.

RESULTS

The mean daily total DF intake in males was 19.5 g/day in 1991 and 19.4 g/day in 2011. In females, it was 17.5 g/day in 1991 and 17.6 g/day in 2011. DF density increased in both males and females from 2004 to 2011. It was 9.0 g/1000 kcal in males and 9.5 g/1000 kcal in females in 2011. The major food sources of water-insoluble DF were cereals and vegetables. Communities with different levels of urbanization showed different trends in total DF intake: decreased consumption (2.9 g) in residents of low-urbanization communities and increased consumption (3.1 g) in those of high-urbanization communities.

CONCLUSION

The average total DF intake in Chinese adults aged 45 years and above remained at a stable level. DF density increased because of slight decrease in energy intake. More public health messages should be disseminated, especially to the residents of low-urbanization communities, so as to increase their daily DF intake to a level close to the recommended DF intake.

[LC-FT-ICR-MS analysis of the prototypes and metabolites in rat plasma after administration of huang-lian-jie-du decoction]

To obtain chemical constituent information of rat plasma after oral administration of Huang-Lian-Jie-Du Decoction (HLJDD), a LC-FT-ICR-MS method has been established, and both positive and negative ions scan modes were include in the analysis. By comparing their retention time, high resolution mass data of HLJDD extracts, blank plasma and dosed plasma, 38 constituents, including 22 prototype compounds and 16 metabolites, were detected in rat plasma after oral administration of HLJDD. In the 22 prototype compounds, 16 constituents were determined unambiguously by comparing with references. In the analysis of metabolites, phase II reactions like glucuronidation and sulfation were the major biotransformation pathways of HLJDD. M11 was observed as the only phase I metabolite in present experiment. The results will be beneficial for the further pharmacokinetics and pharmacological evaluations of HLJDD.

[Identification of bufadienolides profiling in cinobufacino by HPLC-DAD-FT-ICR-MS method]

Cinobufacino injection is a significant anti-tumor medicine for the treatment of various tumors in clinic, which was made from water extraction of the skin of Bufo bufo gargarizans. In present paper, HPLC-DAD-FT-ICR-MS method was used to identify the major bufadienolides in cinobufacino for the first time. Solid-phase extraction with dichloromethane and silica was used to enrich the total bufadienolides in cinobufacino. Based on the UV and high resolution MS/MS data, 33 bufadienolides were analyzed and characterized. Among them, eight compounds were identified by comparing with standard references unambiguously. This study elucidated the major bufadienolides in cinobufacino, which provided material foundation of cinobufacino and will be benefit for the further pharmacological research.

An overview on natural polysaccharides with antioxidant properties

Pharmacotherapy using natural substances can be currently regarded as a very promising future alternative to conventional therapy. With the rapid development of biotechnologies and analytical techniques, a great number of methods have been developed for the identification and quantification of the material, extracts, and products of natural ingredients. The advances available today. The need for safer drugs without side effects has led to the use of natural ingredients with proven safety. In recent years, some bioactive polysaccharides isolated from natural sources have attracted much attention in the field of biochemistry and pharmacology. As an example, polysaccharides or their glycoconjugates were shown to exhibit multiple biological activities including anticarcinogenic, anticoagulant, immunostimulating, antioxidant, etc. During the last several years, we have witnessed a steady expansion in the number of publications that focus in antioxidant polysaccharides. This review presents current findings on the latest advancements and trends in antioxidant polysaccharides isolated from the following: plants, fungi, bacteria, animal sources, and algae. Some interesting studies focus on investigation of the relationship between their structure and antioxidant activity, elucidation of their antioxidant mechanism at the molecular level, and improvement of their various biological activities by chemical modifications. Although the mechanism of their antioxidant action is still not completely clear, these polysaccharides are suggested to enhance cell-mediated immune responses in vivo and in vitro and act as biological response modifiers.

China in the period of transition from scarcity and extensive undernutrition to emerging nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, 1949-1992

This study uses unique official data to document nutritional changes in the 1949-1992 period. In 1949, widespread famine, high mortality and low life expectancy dominated. Economic progress was uneven; however, the longer term food supply changed greatly, and hunger was conquered. Diet composition shifted greatly over this period. Cereal consumption, already high, increased from 541.2 g d(-1) (70.0% coarse grains) in 1952 to 645.9 g d(-1) (15.9% coarse grains) in 1992. Consumption of animal-source foods, half of which were pork and pork products, tripled from 30.0 to 103.0 g d(-1). The proportion of energy intake from fat tripled from 7.6% to 22.5%, and that from carbohydrates decreased from 83.0% to 65.8% over the same period. Physical activity was high in all domains, but shifts were beginning to occur (e.g. the initial mechanization of work and the expansion of biking). Nutritional improvement was uneven, including increased undernutrition in the 1959-1962 period and a remarkable rebound and continued improvement thereafter. Overweight emerged only after 1982. Shifts in diet, activity and body composition in 1949-1992 set the stage for major shifts in nutrition in the subsequent decades.

The physical activity transition among adults in China: 1991-2011

Previous studies have linked work, home production, travel activities and inactivity with weight and health outcomes. However, these focused on average physical activity (PA) over time rather than changes in PA and associated sociodemographic and economic factors and urbanicity. Using the 1991-2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey data, we estimated the metabolic equivalent of task hours per week for individuals in occupational, domestic, travel and active leisure domains and sedentary hours per week. We present the distributions among adult men and women (aged 18-60), and use quantile regression models to explore factors associated with these trends. Trend analyses on the distribution of PA show declines along the whole distribution of occupational PA for men and women and domestic PA for women in China. These patterns remain consistent after adjusting for individual- and household-level factors. Controlling for urbanicity mitigated the decrease in occupational PA, particularly for men, but not the decrease in domestic PA. Given China's rapid urbanization and its association with occupational PA declines and the strong time trend in domestic PA, there is a need to invest in interventions and policies that promote PA during leisure and travel times.

Nanostructured conducting polymers and their biomedical applications

Much attention has been paid to nanostructured conducting polymers due to their unique properties, which arise from their nanoscale size, such as their large surface area, high electrical conductivity, electrochemical stability and quantum effects. This article reviews three methods to synthesize nanostructured conducting polymers and their applications in the biomedical field, focusing specifically on neural probes, biosensors, artificial muscles or actuators and controlled drug release. Challenges and future directions of these nanostructured conducting polymer are also discussed.

A new germline mutation in KIT associated with diffuse cutaneous mastocytosis in a Chinese family

Diffuse cutaneous mastocytosis (DCM) is an extremely rare disease characterized by massive proliferation of mast cells infiltrating the entire skin. We report a Chinese family with indolent DCM, and detection of a new germline KIT mutation located in the fifth immunoglobulin-like loop of the KIT protein, which probably results in a gain-of-function effect and consequent overactivation of mast cells. Our report expands the knowledge of correlations between the genotype of KIT mutations and the phenotype of DCM.

Snapshots of Dirac fermions near the Dirac point in topological insulators

The recent focus on topological insulators is due to the scientific interest in the new state of quantum matter as well as the technology potential for a new generation of THz optoelectronics, spintronics and quantum computations. It is important to elucidate the dynamics of the Dirac fermions in the topologically protected surface state. Hence we utilized a novel ultrafast optical pump mid-infrared probe to explore the dynamics of Dirac fermions near the Dirac point. The femtosecond snapshots of the relaxation process were revealed by the ultrafast optics. Specifically, the Dirac fermion-phonon coupling strength in the Dirac cone was found to increase from 0.08 to 0.19 while Dirac fermions were away from the Dirac point into higher energy states. Further, the energy-resolved transient reflectivity spectra disclosed the energy loss rate of Dirac fermions at room temperature was about 1 meV/ps. These results are crucial to the design of Dirac fermion devices.

Novel tetranucleotide microsatellite markers for Chinese beard eel (Cirrhimuraena chinensis Kaup)

In this study, we characterized 12 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci for Chinese beard eel (Cirrhimuraena chinensis Kaup) from a tetranucleotide microsatellite-enriched library. Loci screened on a sample of 37 individuals from Xiamen wild stocks revealed 8 to 24 alleles per locus, with a mean of 13.83 over all loci. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.270 to 0.944 and 0.439 to 0.942, respectively. These efficient genetic markers thus provide useful tools in the study of the population genetics and phylogeography of Chinese beard eel.

In vitro evaluation of the therapeutic potential of nevirapine in treatment of human thyroid anaplastic carcinoma

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a severe thyroid malignancy with poor prognosis, due to its early metastasis and unresponsiveness to both radiation and chemotherapy. Nevirapine, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, has been used as a re-differentiation agent to treat cancers in several human cancer models. So far, the effects of nevirapine on human thyroid anaplastic carcinoma cells have not been documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of nevirapine in treatment of human thyroid anaplastic carcinoma. Cell proliferation was determined by methly thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by Hoechst 33258 staining. The mRNA expression of NIS and TSHR was determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real time RT-PCR). Iodine uptake was determined by (125)I radioactivity assay. At all doses (100, 200, 350, 500 μmol/L) tested, nevirapine significantly inhibited cell proliferation after 48 h treatment. At high dose (500 μmol/L), nevirapine significantly increased the percentage of apoptotic cells compared with control (P<0.01). At lower doses (200 μmol/L and 350 μmol/L), nevirapine did not induce cell apoptosis, but up-regulated NIS and THSR mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner. In FRO cells pre-treated with nevirapine, the increase in NIS expression had no obvious effect on iodine uptake. These findings indicate that nevirapine has an anti-proliferative effect on FRO cells, which correlates with an induction of cell differentiation.

XBP1 promoter polymorphism modulates platinum-based chemotherapy gastrointestinal toxicity for advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients

BACKGROUND

The X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a critical transcription factor in the endoplasmic reticulum stress response, which is essential for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Here, we investigated whether the regulatory variant rs2269577 of the XBP1 gene influences clinical outcome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing platinum-based chemotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We recruited 663 Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC treated with platinum-based regimens and assessed the association between rs2269577 and clinical outcome. Subsequent functional analyses, including real-time quantitative PCR and dual-luciferase assays, were performed to explore possible molecular mechanisms.

RESULTS

The G/G genotype of rs2269577 was significantly associated with severe gastrointestinal toxicity compared with the homozygous C/C genotype (P=0.012, odds ratio=2.755), particularly in the female, performance status 0-1, and adenocarcinoma subgroups. No significant relevance was found between rs2269577 and treatment efficacy. In gastric epithelial cells, in vitro molecular analyses demonstrated that XBP1 mRNA expression levels decreased after treatment with cisplatin and the G allele of rs2269577 weakened the transcriptional activity of the XBP1 promoter.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to evaluate the effect of XBP1 polymorphism on severe chemotherapy-related adverse outcomes in platinum-treated advanced NSCLC patients using both pharmacogenomics and functional molecular analyses.

Multifunctional surfaces with biomimetic nanofibres and drug-eluting micro-patterns for infection control and bone tissue formation

For long-term orthopaedic implants, the creation of a surface that is repulsive to bacteria while adhesive to tissue cells represents a promising strategy to control infection. To obtain such multifunctional surfaces, two possible approaches were explored to incorporate a model antibiotic, rifampicin (Rf), into the osteogenic polycaprolactone (PCL)/chitosan (CHS) biomimetic nanofibre meshes by (1) blending Rf into the electrospinning solutions and then electrospinning into nanofibres (i.e., Rf-incorporating fibres), or (2) depositing Rf-containing poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) micro-patterns onto the PCL/chitosan nanofibre meshes via ink-jet printing (i.e., Rf-eluting micro-pattern/fibre). Rapid release of Rf from both meshes was measured even though a relatively slower release rate was obtained from the Rf-eluting micro-pattern ones. Antibacterial assay with Staphylococcus epidermidis showed that both mesh surfaces could effectively kill bacteria and prevent biofilm formation. However, only Rf-eluting micro-pattern meshes favoured the attachment, spreading and metabolic activity of preosteoblasts in the cell culture study. Furthermore, the Rf-eluting micro-pattern meshes could better support the osteogenic differentiation of preosteoblasts by up-regulating the gene expression of bone markers (type I collagen and alkaline phosphatase). Clearly, compared to Rf-incorporating nanofibre meshes, Rf-eluting micro-patterns could effectively prevent biofilm formation without sacrificing the osteogenic properties of PCL/chitosan nanofibre surfaces. This finding provides an innovative avenue to design multifunctional surfaces for enhancing bone tissue formation while controlling infection.

[Identification of sarcosaphagous Calliphorid flies by analyzing the sequence of 16S rDNA]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the application of a 289bp fragment of the 16S rDNA gene to identify various species of sarcosaphagous Calliphorid flies.

METHODS

Twenty-six Calliphorid flies were collected from 14 Chinese provinces. All specimens were properly assigned into three genera and six species. The DNA of the pectoralis was extracted using CTAB method. Then PCR amplification was done for the 289 bp fragment of the 16S rDNA gene. The PCR products were then purified and sequenced, and the obtained sequences were uploaded to GenBank. The phylogenetic tree was built by the neighbor-joining method and intraspecific and interspecific divergences were calculated by sequence analysis.

RESULTS

The above 26 sarcosaphagous flies could be well clustered according to different genera and species. The evolutional intraspecific values were all zero, the evolutional interspecific variations varied from 0.3% to 6.5%.

CONCLUSION

The 289 bp fragment of the 16S rDNA of sarcosaphagous flies can be effectively used to identify most of the flies at species level. This method appears to be fast and low dissipative, which might be used to estimate postmortem interval by sarcosaphagous flies.

[In vitro anti-proliferation effect of peptides from cinobufacini injection]

Cinobufacini is an aqueous extract of Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor dried skin, which has been widely used for cancer therapy in China. So far, its active components are still not very clear. In previous reports, bufadienolides with low-concentration were usually studied because of their anticancer effects. However, the high polarity constituents in cinobufacini are less investigated. The present study found that more than 50% contents of cinobufacini were water-soluble peptides. Then, in vitro anticancer experiments were carried out, including human stomach cancer cell lines BGC823 and MCG803, human colon cancer cell lines DLD-1 and HT-29, and human pancreatic cancer cell line MIAPACA-2. The IC50 for these cell lines model were ranged from 25-123 microgmL(-1). The results indicated that these peptides showed similar activity with cinobufacini injection. As a conclusion, this study provides a new and further understanding of anticancer components in cinobufacini injection.

[Iron chloride for simultaneous denitrification and chemical-biological flocculation process]

The efficiency of iron chloride on simultaneous denitrification and chemical-biological flocculation process was investigated through a lab-scale study. The results showed that: there were not significant differences in the denitrification rate, COD and NO3(-) -N removal efficiency between the control reactor and the denitrification reactor with the dosage of 20 mg x L(-1) Fe after 14 days' domestication. Meanwhile the TP removal efficiency was increased to over 80%. Though sludge concentration was increased by adding FeCl3, the settling performance wasn't change because the sludge density was increased and the particle size was reduced. The sludge settling volume (SV30) and specific resistance of filtration (SRF) after adding FeCl3 were only 22% and 1.5 x 10(12) m x kg(-1), which were lower than the values in the control reactor and benefit for sludge treatment.

The utility of mitochondrial DNA fragments for genetic identification of forensically important sarcophagid flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) in China

Species-diagnostic anatomical characters of fleshflies are not known for most immature stages or even adults, and an existing key may be incomplete or difûcult for nonspecialists to use. The use of sarcophagids for PMI estimations has been greatly hampered by their highly similar morphological characters. DNA-based method can be used as a supplemental means of morphological method in identification of forensically important sarcophagid flies. However, relying solely on single DNA fragment for delimiting species is considered to be unreliable, especially when the fragment was small. Sequence data of selected regions of the cytochrome oxidase subunit two (COII) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes of the most important Chinese fleshfly taxa associated with cadavers are presented, which can be instrumental for implementation of the Chinese Sarcophagidae database. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequenced segments showed that all sarcophagid specimens were properly assigned into five species, which indicated the possibility of separation congeneric species with the short fragments.

WITHDRAWN: MyD88 is required for the recruitment of eosinophils and neutrophils but dispensable for host protective immune responses during Fasciola hepatica infection

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy.

Predictors of health-care needs in discharged burn patients

Patients' health-care needs are an important issue, but have not been studied in the burn field. The aims of this study were to explore discharged burn patients' health-care needs and related factors. This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling and four questionnaires, including basic information, Mental Status Inventory, Burn Patients' Social Support and Burn Patients' Healthcare Needs for data collection. There were 93 adults, injured on average 45% of total body surface area, who completed the study. Results indicated that the level of psychosocial care needs were higher than physiological needs. The level of physiological care needs changed over time, but psychosocial needs did not change. Self-reported psychosocial needs and physiological care needs correlated with each other. The multiple regressions showed that the most important predictors of overall health-care needs were numbers of visible scarred areas, time since discharge and previous psychiatric history. The findings revealed the burn patients provided clinically useful information and supported further evaluation in the area of care needs for burn patients.

Effect of simvastatin on expression of transforming growth factor-β and collagen type IV in rat mesangial cells

OBJECTIVE

Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by the accumulation of extracellular matrix in the glomerular mesangium as a result of an imbalance between matrix synthesis and degradation. Since simvastatin has been proposed to decrease renal interstitial fibrosis, we hypothesized that the protective effect of statins was related to the expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and type IV collagen (Col IV).

METHODS

Cultured rat mesangial cells (RMC) were exposed to high glucose (HG), advanced glycosylation end products (AGE) or H(2)O(2) in the absence and presence of simvastatin. Expression of TGF-β and Col IV was determined by Western blotting.

RESULTS

Coincubation of RMC with HG, AGE or H(2)O(2) resulted in a significant increase of the expression of TGF-β and Col IV (p < 0.05). Simvastatin significantly inhibited HG-, AGE- or H(2)O(2)-induced expression of TGF-β and Col IV (p < 0.05). Moreover, simvastatin also inhibited HG-, AGE- and H(2)O(2)-induced activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, which indicated that the preventive effect of simvastatin on TGF-β and Col IV may be associated with p38.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that simvastatin can reduce HG-, AGE- and H(2)O(2)-induced expression of TGF-β and Col IV by inhibition of the p38 pathway.

Directly produced three-color entanglement by quasi-phase-matched third-harmonic generation

A new scheme is presented to directly produce fundamental, second-, and third-harmonic three-color continuous-variable (CV) entangled beams by cascaded quasi-phase-matched third-harmonic generation (THG) in an optical cavity. THG can be achieved with high efficiency through a coupled sum-frequency process between the second-harmonic and the fundamental fields. It is demonstrated that the three beams (fundamental, second-, and third-harmonic fields) are entangled with each other according to the CV entanglement criterion. In this scheme, only one crystal and one pump field can generate three-color CV entangled beams separated by an octave in frequency through quasi-phase-matched cascaded nonlinear process, which may be very useful for the applications in quantum communication and computation networks.