Bismuth-doped all-fiber mode-locked laser operating at 1340 nm

We demonstrate a 1340 nm mode-locked Bismuth (Bi)-doped fiber laser without any saturable absorber. The effect of pump power on pulse width is studied, and a variation from 1.5 to 3 ns is reported. The output of the mode-locked Bi-doped fiber laser is further amplified using a master oscillator power amplifier configuration, and a peak power of 1.15 W is achieved. Soliton bunching is observed, and a true pulse width of 1.2 ps is reported from the measured autocorrelation trace. Stable operation of the mode-locked laser is verified from the radio-frequency spectrum with a fundamental repetition rate of 6.3 MHz, and SNR of 65 dB.

Intracellular mature IL-37 suppresses tumor metastasis via inhibiting Rac1 activation

IL-37, a newly found anti-inflammatory cytokine of the IL-1 family, has both extracellular and intracellular functions. Accumulating evidences indicate that it is also involved in tumor progression. However, the mechanism and its intracellular target are unclear. In this study, clinical data from 84 patients showed that loss or reduced expression of IL-37 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues was significantly associated with tumor metastasis. We further provided evidence that IL-37 inhibited effectively tumor metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we uncovered a novel mechanism by which IL-37 suppressed tumor cell migration via its intracellular mature form (amino acids 46-218). Intracellular mature form of IL-37, but not its extracellular form, markedly inhibited migration of multiple kinds of tumor cells through inhibiting Rac1 activation. Mechanistically, intracellular mature IL-37 directly bound to the CAAX motif in the C-terminal hypervariable region of Rac1, and then inhibited Rac1 membrane translocation and subsequent downstream signaling. Our research identifies intracellular mature IL-37 as a novel endogenous inhibitor of Rac1. Given the crucial roles of Rac1 in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis, intracellular mature IL-37 might serve as a potential strategy for the control of Rac1 activity and tumor progression.

The effect of probiotic Lactobacillus casei Shirota on knee osteoarthritis: a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) treatment is challenging due to inefficacy and adverse effects of current medications. Probiotic treatment has been shown to promote bone metabolism, reduce pain and inflammatory responses of age-related musculoskeletal disorders, including OA. We aimed to investigate the effect of probiotic Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) on patients with knee OA. 537 patients with knee OA were enrolled in this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, who were randomised to receive skimmed milk containing either LcS or placebo daily for 6 months. Primary outcome was defined as changes in WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) and VAS (visual analog scale) scores. Secondary outcome was defined as changes in serum levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). After 6 months of treatment, both WOMAC and VAS scores were significantly improved in the LcS groups of patients compared to the placebo group. Serum levels of hs-CRP were also significantly lower in patients receiving LcS than placebo. Strong linear correlations were observed between serum hs-CRP levels and WOMAC and VAS scores. LcS consumption could serve as a novel therapeutic option in the clinical management of knee OA, improving treatment outcome likely through reducing serum hs-CRP levels.

Investigating and analyzing three cohorts of mushroom poisoning caused by Amanita exitialis in Yunnan, China

Amanita exitialis is a lethal mushroom found in China. Knowledge regarding taxonomic characterization, toxin detection, general poisoning conditions, clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, and clinical treatments for this species is currently lacking. We investigated three A. exitialis mushroom poisoning cohorts in Yunnan Province in 2014 and 2015, involving 10 patients. Mushroom samples were identified by morphological and molecular studies. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect the peptide toxins in the mushroom samples. Epidemiological information, clinical data, and results of laboratory examinations were collected and analyzed. The mushroom samples were all identified as A. exitialis. The average toxin concentration decreased from the cap to the stipe to the volva, and the average concentration of the peptide toxins decreased in the order of α-amanitin > phallacidin > β-amanitin > γ-amanitin. The latency period between ingestion and the onset of symptoms was 13.9 ± 2.1 h, and the time from ingestion to hospitalization was 49.6 ± 8.5 h. The most common symptoms were nausea and vomiting (100%). Four patients died from fulminant hepatic failure. Laboratory examinations showed that the alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time levels peaked on the third day post-ingestion. Total bilirubin and direct bilirubin values peaked on day 7. The death group and the survival group had a similar variation trend of serological indexes, but the death group had a greater change. A. exitialis is an extremely dangerous mushroom and there is a need to educate the public to avoid picking and eating wild mushrooms that have not been definitively identified.

Associations of carboxypeptidase 4 with ALDH1A1 expression and their prognostic value in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal cancer is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis because of early metastasis when diagnosed and recurrence after surgery. This study is aimed at investigating the expression of carboxypeptidaseA4 (CPA4) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tumor tissues and analyzed their association and clinical significance. The expression of CPA4 and ALDH1A1 was determined by immunohistochemistry using the corresponding primary antibodies on two commercial tissue arrays. High level of CPA4 was observed in 87/150 (58%) ESCC samples and was significantly associated with histologic grade, lymph node metastasis, and TNM Classification of Esophageal cancer stage. The expression level of ALDH1A1 was much higher in ESCC than their corresponding normal epithelial tissues, with 66% positive rate. And, high levels of ALDH1A1 were significantly associated with lymph nodes metastasis (P < 0.05) and TNM stage (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed the expression level of CPA4 positively correlated with that of ALDH1A1 (r = 0.416, P < 0.01). In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, either CPA4 or ALDH1A1 was significantly correlated with poor overall survival of ESCC patients. Multivariate Cox regression model showed that high expression of CPA4 was an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients. In conclusion, our present study demonstrated for the first time that CPA4 might be used as an independent poor prognostic factor in ESCC. This study demonstrated for the first time that CPA4 was aberrantly expressed in ESCC tissues. Overexpression of CPA4 was closely associated with the putative cancer stem cell marker ALDH1A1 and might be used as an independent prognostic factor in ESCC.

Effects of dietary chitosan on growth, lipid metabolism, immune response and antioxidant-related gene expression in Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of dietary chitosan supplementation on growth performance, lipid metabolism, gut microbial, antioxidant status and immune responses of juvenile loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus). Five experimental diets were formulated to contain graded levels of chitosan (0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2 and 5% CHI) for 50 days. Results of the present study showed that body weight gain was significantly higher in fish fed chitosan supplemented diets in dose dependent manner than control group. Increasing dietary chitosan levels reduced gut lipid content. Meanwhile the mRNA expression levels of intestine lipoprotein lipase and fatty acid binding protein 2 were significantly reduced with incremental dietary chitosan level. The percentages of total monounsaturated fatty acid decreased, while polyunsaturated fatty acid increased with dietary chitosan. The fish fed 0.5% CHI had higher mucus lysozyme activity (LZM) than those fed 0% CHI, but the LZM activity was significantly decreased with advancing chitosan supplement. The expression levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase revealed a similar trend, where the highest expressions were found in fish fed 5% CHI diet. In the term of intestine microbiota between 0 and 1% CHI groups, the proportion of bacteria in the phylum Bacteroidetes increased, whereas the proportion of bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes decreased as the fish supplemented chitosan. In conclusion, supplementation of chitosan improved growth performance, antioxidant status and immunological responses in loach.

Abstract P1-08-03: Identification and characterization of a novel endoxifen substrate, PKCβ1, and its interaction with the estrogen receptor

Background: The primary mechanism by which tamoxifen (Tam) and its metabolites exert their biologic effects is through estrogen receptor (ER) binding and inhibition of ER signaling. We and others demonstrated that endoxifen (Endx) has greater antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo compared to Tam and the first-in-human Endx phase I study demonstrated its antitumor activity in patients with prior progression on Tam (Goetz SABC 2015). PKCs are a family of serine/threonine-specific protein kinases that regulate signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation and tumorigenic transformation. Our prior protein docking studies suggested endoxifen may be a substrate for PKCs. Here we report the effects of Tam and Endx on PKCβ1 binding, kinase activity, as well as interactions between PKCβ1 and ERα.

Methods: Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR, Biacore T200, GE Healthcare) was used to evaluate binding of Tam, N-desmethyl Tam (NDMT), 4-HT, and Endx to PKCβ1 and PKCβ2. The effects of Tam and Endx on PKCβ1 kinase activity were determined. Proliferation and colony formation in MCF7 parental and PKCβ1 overexpressing cells were evaluated. siRNA silencing was used to knockdown PKCβ1 expression in the following cells: MCF7 aromatase expressing cells that were either sensitive (MCF7/AC1) or resistant to letrozole (MCF7/AC1 L-resistant); T47D; and MDA-MB-361. Coimmunoprecipitation assay and DUOlink in situ proximity ligation were used to investigate the interaction between PKCβ1 and ERα.

Results: Endx more potently inhibited PKCβ1 kinase activity compared to Tam ( IC50 350 nM vs 47.8 μM ) with KDs for PKCβ1 binding as follows: Endx (100 nM ), Tam ( 2 μM ), 4-HT ( 2 μM ) and NDMT (&gt; 7 μM ). None of the SERMs exhibited PKCβ2 binding. In the MCF7/AC1 and MCF7/AC1 L-resistant cells, PKCβ1 knockdown resulted in ERα degradation and potently inhibited cell proliferation. These results were confirmed in T47D and MDA-MB-361 cells. Notably, PKCβ1 knockdown in MCF7/AC1 cells resulted in significantly greater E2 induced proliferation comparing siRNA knockdown vs. control. To further explore these effects, we evaluated the effects of PKCβ1 overexpression in MCF7 cells and demonstrated that PKCβ1 overexpression reduced cell proliferation and colony formation compared to parental MCF-7 cells without affecting ERα protein stability. Coimmunoprecipitation assays in transient transfected MCF-7 cells with exogenous PKCβ1 as well as PKCβ1 expressing MDA-MB-231 cells transiently or stably transfected with ERα demonstrated PKCβ1 and ERα interaction, with confirmation by Duolink assay that this interaction occurs in the cytoplasm.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that endoxifen binds and inhibits PKCβ1 at relevant concentrations achieved in the endoxifen clinical trial studies. PKCβ1 interacts with cytoplasmic ERα and PKCβ1 knockdown inhibits cell proliferation and enhances ERα turnover. However, in PKCβ1 overexpressing cells, PKCβ1 may exhibit tumor suppressive effects. These data suggest a complex interaction between PKCβ1 and ERα and that endoxifen's effects on PKCβ1 may alter drug response of endocrine therapy. Further studies are ongoing to characterize the role of PKCβ1 and its role in ER biology and response to endoxifen.

Citation Format: Guo C, Kuffel MJ, Kudgus RA, Huang Z, Bode AM, Cheng J, Suman VJ, Reid JM, Bruinsma ES, Subramaniam M, Ames MM, Hawse JR, Goetz MP. Identification and characterization of a novel endoxifen substrate, PKCβ1, and its interaction with the estrogen receptor [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-08-03.

Two-dimensional self-assembly of diacetylenic acid derivatives and their light-induced polymerization on HOPG surfaces

The effect of UV illumination time on the polymerization efficiency and the structural change of DA-25.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 improves insulin resistance in vitro through anti-inflammation of macrophages

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a kind of gut hormone, is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Emerging evidence indicates that GLP-1 has anti-inflammatory activity. Chronic inflammation in the adipose tissue of obese individuals is a cause of insulin resistance and T2D. We hypothesized that GLP-1 analogue therapy in patients with T2D could suppress the inflammatory response of macrophages, and therefore inhibit insulin resistance. Our results showed that GLP-1 agonist (exendin-4) not only attenuated macrophage infiltration, but also inhibited the macrophage secretion of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-β, IL-6, and IL-1β. Furthermore, we observed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage conditioned media could impair insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. This effect was compensated by treatment with the conditioned media from macrophages treated with the combination of LPS and exendin-4. It was also observed that exendin-4 directly inhibited the activation of NF-κB in macrophages. In conclusion, our results indicated that GLP-1 improved inflammatory macrophage-derived insulin resistance by inhibiting NF-κB pathway and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in macrophages. Furthermore, our observations suggested that the anti-inflammatory effect of GLP-1 on macrophages can contribute to GLP-1 analogue therapy of T2D.

Measurement of Excitation Spectra in the ^{12}C(p,d) Reaction near the η^{'} Emission Threshold

Excitation spectra of ^{11}C are measured in the ^{12}C(p,d) reaction near the η^{'} emission threshold. A proton beam extracted from the synchrotron SIS-18 at GSI with an incident energy of 2.5 GeV impinges on a carbon target. The momenta of deuterons emitted at 0° are precisely measured with the fragment separator (FRS) operated as a spectrometer. In contrast to theoretical predictions on the possible existence of deeply bound η^{'}-mesic states in carbon nuclei, no distinct structures are observed associated with the formation of bound states. The spectra are analyzed to set stringent constraints on the formation cross section and on the hitherto barely known η^{'}-nucleus interaction.

Crops are a main driver for species diversity and the toxigenic potential of Fusarium isolates in maize ears in China

In recent years increasing demands and the relatively low-care cultivation of the crop have resulted in an enormous expansion of the acreage of maize in China. However, particularly in China, Fusarium ear rot forms an important constraint to maize production. In this study, we showed that members of both the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) and the Fusarium graminearum species complex are the causal agents of Fusarium ear rot in the main maize producing areas in China. Fumonisin producing Fusarium verticillioides was the most prevalent species, followed by fumonisin producing Fusarium proliferatum and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol producing F. graminearum. Both Fusarium temperatum and Fusarium boothii were identified for the first time in the colder regions in China, extending their known habitats to colder environments. Mating type analysis of the different heterothallic FFSC species, showed that both types co-occur in each sampling site suggestive of the possibility of sexual recombination. Virulence tests with F. boothii (from maize) and F. graminearum from maize or wheat showed adaptation to the host. In addition, F. graminearum seems to outcompete F. boothii in wheat-maize rotations. Based on our findings and previous studies, we conclude that wheat/maize rotation selects for F. graminearum, while a wheat/rice rotation selects for F. asiaticum. In contrast, F. boothii is selected when maize is cultivated without rotation. A higher occurrence of F. temperatum is observed on maize in colder climatological regions in China, while Fusarium meridionale seems restricted to mountain areas. Each of these species has their characteristic mycotoxin profile and deoxynivalenol and fumonisin are the potential threats to maize production in Northern China.

Heterogeneous evolution of Ty3-gypsy retroelements among bamboo species

Ty3-gypsy long-terminal repeat retroelements are ubiquitously found in many plant genomes. This study reports the occurrence of heterogeneous Ty3-gypsy retroelements in four representative bamboo species: Phyllostachys heterocycla (Carr.) Mitford cv. pubescens, P. heterocycla (Carr.) Mitford cv. heterocycla, Dendrocalamopsis oldhami, and Pleioblastus fortunei. Using degenerate oligonucleotide primers corresponding to the conserved domains of reverse transcriptase (rt) genes of Ty3-gypsy retroelements, 165 distinct sequences were amplified from genomic DNA. The length of the nucleotide sequences varied from 366 to 438 bp. The sequences demonstrated a high heterogeneity, with homology ranging from 52.2 to 99.8%. A phylogenetic tree was constructed, including Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa. Bamboo Ty3-gypsy sequences formed three distinct retroelement clusters (gypsy I-III). Further analysis indicated that there were not only nearly identical Ty3-gypsy retroelements found in distantly related species, but also highly diverse Ty3-gypsy retroelements observed in closely related species. The results of this study provide genetic and evolutionary information about the bamboo genome that could contribute to further studies of repetitive elements in bamboo as well as in other species.

Cloning and characterization of a novel betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase gene from Suaeda corniculata

Glycine betaine is an important quaternary ammonium compound that is produced in response to several abiotic stresses in many organisms. The synthesis of glycine betaine requires the catalysis of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH), which can convert betaine aldehyde into glycine betaine in plants, especially in halotolerant plants. In this study, we isolated the full-length cDNA of BADH from Suaeda corniculata (ScBADH) using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Next, we analyzed the expression profile of ScBADH using real-time PCR. The results showed that ScBADH expression was induced in the roots, stems, and leaves of S. corniculata seedlings under salt and drought stress. Next, ScBADH was overexpressed in Arabidopsis, resulting in the transgenic plants exhibiting enhanced tolerance over wild-type plants under salt and drought stress. We then analyzed the levels of glycine betaine and proline, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, during salt stress in WT and transgenic Arabidopsis. The results indicated that overexpression of ScBADH produced more glycine betaine and proline, and increased SOD activity under NaCl treatment. Our results suggest that ScBADH might be a positive regulator in plants during the response to NaCl.

Pdcd4 restrains the self-renewal and white-to-beige transdifferentiation of adipose-derived stem cells

The stemness maintenance of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) is important for adipose homeostasis and energy balance. Programmed cell death 4 (Pdcd4) has been demonstrated to be involved in the development of obesity, but its possible roles in ADSC function and adipogenic capacity remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that Pdcd4 is a key controller that limits the self-renewal and white-to-beige transdifferentiation of ADSCs. Pdcd4 deficiency in mice caused stemness enhancement of ADSCs as evidenced by increased expression of CD105, CD90, Nanog and Oct4 on ADSCs, together with enhanced in situ proliferation in adipose tissues. Pdcd4 deficiency promoted proliferation, colony formation of ADSCs and drove more ADSCs entering the S phase accompanied by AKT activation and cyclinD1 upregulation. Blockade of AKT signaling in Pdcd4-deficient ADSCs led to a marked decline in cyclinD1, S-phase entry and cell proliferation, revealing AKT as a target for repressing ADSC self-renewal by Pdcd4. Intriguingly, depletion of Pdcd4 promoted the transdifferentiation of ADSCs into beige adipocytes. A reduction in lipid contents and expression levels of white adipocyte markers including C/EBPα, PPAR-γ, adiponectin and αP2 was detected in Pdcd4-deficient ADSCs during white adipogenic differentiation, substituted by typical beige adipocyte characteristics including small, multilocular lipid droplets and UCP1 expression. More lactate produced by Pdcd4-deficient ADSCs might be an important contributor to the expression of UCP1 and white-to-beige transdifferentiation. In addition, an elevation of UCP1 expression was confirmed in white adipose tissues from Pdcd4-deficient mice upon high-fat diet, which displayed increased energy expenditure and resistance to obesity as compared with wild-type obese mice. These findings provide evidences that Pdcd4 produces unfavorable influences on ADSC stemness, which contribute to adipose dysfunction, obesity and metabolic syndromes, thereby proposing Pdcd4 as a potential intervening target for regulating ADSC function.

Pdcd4 deficiency enhances macrophage lipoautophagy and attenuates foam cell formation and atherosclerosis in mice

Macrophage foam cells, a major component of the atherosclerotic lesion, have vital roles in the development of atherosclerosis. Lipoautophagy, a type of autophagy characterized by selective delivery of lipid droplet for lysosomal degradation, may impact atherosclerosis by regulating macrophage foam cell formation. Previously, we reported that programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4), a tumor suppressor, negatively regulated autophagy in tumor cells. However, its roles in macrophage lipoautophagy, foam cell formation and atherosclerosis remain to be established. Here we found that Pdcd4 deficiency clearly improved oxidized low-density lipoproteins-impaired autophagy efflux, promoted autophagy-mediated lipid breakdown in murine macrophages and thus prevented macrophage conversion into foam cells. Importantly, Pdcd4 deficiency in mice significantly upregulated macrophage autophagy in local plaques along with attenuated lipid accumulation and atherosclerotic lesions in high-fat-fed Apolipoprotein E knockout mice. Bone marrow transplantation experiment demonstrated that PDCD4-mediated autophagy in hematopoietic cells contributed to the development of atherosclerosis. These results indicate that endogenous PDCD4 promotes for macrophage foam cell formation and atherosclerosis development via inhibiting autophagy and provides new insights into atherogenesis, suggesting that promoting macrophage autophagy through downregulating PDCD4 expression may be beneficial for treating atherosclerosis.

In Vivo Antioxidant Properties of Lotus Root and Cucumber: A Pilot Comparative Study in Aged Subjects

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effects of lotus root and cucumber on antioxidant function in aged subjects.

DESIGN

Pilot comparative study.

SETTING

Research setting with vegetable intervention.

PARTICIPANTS

Healthy aged subjects over the age of sixty.

INTERVENTION

30-day supplementation of lotus root or cucumber powder.

MEASUREMENTS

Plasma value of ferric reducing antioxidant power assay, activity of antioxidant enzymes, contents of some antioxidants, oxidation products, hemolysis, blood mononuclear cell DNA damage and urinary excretion of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine were measured before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Plasma glutathione peroxidase activity, contents of vitamin C, total phenolics were significantly increased, while plasma uric acid content significantly decreased in both groups at the end of the intervention. Meanwhile, hemolysis was significantly reduced in both groups and DNA injury rate of blood mononuclear cells in lotus root group and the ratio of comet tail length to total length in cucumber group were also declined significantly post-intervention. However, plasma value of ferric reducing antioxidant power assay, contents of reduced glutathione, vitamin E, malondialdehyde, oxidized low density lipoprotein, carbonyls and activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase were not changed significantly in both group after the intervention.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that lotus root and cucumber are not remarkably different in improving antioxidant function in aged subjects, though they are significantly different in antioxidant capacity in vitro. The benefits observed in this study may come from the additive or synergistic combinations of antioxidants contained in vegetables.

Sexual dimorphism in miR-210 expression and mitochondrial dysfunction in the placenta with maternal obesity

BACKGROUND

Maternal obesity is a major problem in obstetrics, and the placenta is involved in obesity-related complications via its roles at the maternal-fetal interface. We have recently shown a causative role for micro(mi)RNA-210, a so called 'hypoxamir' regulated by HIF-1α, in mitochondrial dysfunction in placentas from women with preeclampsia. We also reported mitochondrial dysfunction in placentas with maternal obesity. Here we hypothesized that expression of miR-210 is dysregulated in the placentas with obesity.

METHODS

Placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies were collected at term from healthy weight or control (CTRL, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI)<25), overweight (OW, BMI=25-24.9) and obese (OB, BMI>30) women following C-section with no labor. Expression of miRNA-210 and its target genes was measured by reverse transcription-PCR and Western Blot, respectively. Mitochondrial respiration was assessed by Seahorse Analyzer in syncytiotrophoblast (ST) 72 h after cytotrophoblast isolation.

RESULTS

Expression of miR-210 was significantly increased in placentas of OB and OW women with female but not male fetuses compared with CTRL placentas of females. However, expression of HIF-1α in these placentas remained unchanged. Levels of tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) were increased in OW and OB placentas of females but not males, and in silico analysis suggested that activation of miR-210 expression in these placentas might be activated by NFκB1 (p50) signaling. Indeed, chromatin Immunoprecipitation assay showed that NFkB1 binds to placental miR-210 promoter in a fetal sex-dependent manner. Female but not male STs treated with TNFα showed overexpression of miR-210, reduction of mitochondrial target genes and decreased mitochondrial respiration. Pre-treatment of these STs with small interfering RNA to NFkB1 or antagomiR-210 prevented the TNFα-mediated inhibition of mitochondrial respiration.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that the inflammatory intrauterine environment associated with maternal obesity induces an NFκB1-mediated increase in miR-210 in a fetal sex-dependent manner, leading to inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and placental dysfunction in the placentas of female fetuses.

Biodegradable poly-lactic acid based-composite reinforced unidirectionally with high-strength magnesium alloy wires

Biodegradable poly-lactic acid (PLA)--based composites reinforced unidirectionally with high-strength magnesium alloy wires (MAWs) are fabricated by a heat-compressing process and the mechanical properties and degradation behavior are studied experimentally and theoretically. The composites possess improved strengthening and toughening properties. The bending strength and impact strength of the composites with 40 vol% MAWs are 190 MPa and 150 kJ/m(2), respectively, although PLA has a low viscosity and an average molecular weight of 60,000 g/mol. The mechanical properties of the composites can be further improved by internal structure modification and interface strengthening and a numerical model incorporating the equivalent section method (ESM) is proposed for the bending strength. Micro arc oxidization (MAO) of the MAWs is an effective interfacial strengthening method. The composites exhibit high strength retention during degradation and the PLA in the composite shows a smaller degradation rate than pure PLA. The novel biodegradable composites have large potential in bone fracture fixation under load-bearing conditions.

Sex-dependent activity of de novo methyltransferase 3 (Tudnmt3) in the two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism for regulating developmental and other important processes in eukaryotes. Several components of the DNA methylation machinery have been identified, such as DNA methyltransferases. However, little is known about DNA methyltransferases in chelicerates, which is the second largest arthropod group. Epigenetics are expected to have a crucial role in the metabolism and development of this group. Here, we investigated the role of DNA methyltransferase 3 in the development of Tetranychus urticae Koch. In silico analyses clearly showed that this enzyme possesses the necessary conserved motifs for the catalytic activity of de novo methylation of DNA. Real-time PCR revealed that T. urticae de novo methyltransferase 3 (Tudnmt3) is expressed ubiquitously and throughout the life cycle of the two-spotted spider mite. However, the pattern of Tudnmt3 expression was sex-dependent during the adult stage. Whole in situ hybridization provided supportive evidence that Tudnmt3 is linked to the differentiation of the gonads in adult females and males. Methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism analyses of 119 loci showed that the status of DNA methylation is partially different between adult females and males, raising the possibility that this sex-dependent DNA methylation pattern is mediated by different methylation activity of Tudnmt3.

The effect of demonstrator age and number on duration of socially-induced food preferences in house mouse (Mus domesticus)

Present research was undertaken to investigate whether the transfer of food preference from a demonstrator mouse to an observer can be influenced by their relative age. In experiment 1 an adult female mouse, the observer, was allowed to interact with a recently-fed demonstrator which was a pup of her litter or an adult female mouse. The observer was then tested to assess whether it acquired a preference for the demonstrator's diet. The results showed that a pup demonstrator's influence on an adult's food preference is shorter-lasting than an adult demonstrator's influence. Experiment 2 was aimed to investigate whether many demonstrators have an additive effect in influencing their observer's choice. The results indicated that multiple pup demonstrations do not increase longevity of food preferences induced by pup demonstrators. Moreover, the longevity of an adult observer's preference for its demonstrator's food is reduced by the exposure to multiple adult demonstrators. Results are discussed in terms of demonstrator's reliability and of social constraints that could affect social transfer of food information in the house mouse.

An introduction to clinical practice guideline for Chinese undergraduates in stomatology

The Society of Dental Education, Chinese Stomatological Association has formulated the Standards of Clinical Practice for Chinese Undergraduate Students Majoring in Stomatology, on the basis of extensively soliciting the views of experts in various fields. The aim of this standard is to guide clinical teaching and improve teaching quality in schools of stomatology in China. The standards include eight parts: the standard of clinical practice for oral and maxillofacial surgery, for cariology and endodontics, for periodontics, for the oral mucosa diseases, for preventive dentistry, for pedodontology, for prosthodontics and for oral imageology. Each part includes introduction to subjects, the clinical practice time period, the purpose and requirements of practice, the disease types of practice and items of clinical operation, the index of the lowest workload of practice and the major methods of assessment. These standards are not only the basic requirements and guiding principles for clinical teaching, but also the major criteria for assessing the clinical teaching quality of stomatological colleges/schools of China.

The expression and significance of TIPE2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from asthmatic children

Tumour necrosis factor-α-induced protein-8 like-2 (TIPE2) is a newly identified immune negative regulator. The abnormal expression of TIPE2 has been found in several human inflammatory diseases. However, the expression level and clinical significance of TIPE2 in childhood asthma remain unclear. In this study, we detected TIPE2 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 42 children with asthma and 39 healthy controls by RT-PCR, qRT-PCR and Western blot. We also detected the levels of serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), eosinophil (EO), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and analysed the correlations of TIPE2 expression with IgE, EO, IL-4 and IFN-γ. The results showed that TIPE2 mRNA and protein expression were decreased in children with asthma compared with healthy controls. The levels of IgE, EO and IL-4 in the children with asthma were obviously higher than those in normal controls, while the level of IFN-γ in patients with asthma was significantly lower than that in healthy subjects. Furthermore, the expression level of TIPE2 mRNA was negatively correlated with IgE, EO and IL-4. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between TIPE2 mRNA expression and serum IFN-γ level. In conclusion, our data suggest that reduced TIPE2 expression may contribute to the pathogenesis of childhood asthma.

A statistical mechanics model for receptor clustering

We introduce and study a simple lattice statistical mechanics modelfor the clustering of tumor necrosis factor receptor I (TNFR1).Our model explains clustering under over-expression of the cytoplasmicsignal transducer as well as the clustering induced via extracellularligand binding; also we explain why the loss of transducer leads to arapid break-up of the clusters. The basic mechanism at work is a first-order(cooperative) phase transition caused by the multimeric binding capability ofthe receptor-transducer complex. Using cooperativity of this type, the cellsare found to have an enhanced sensitivity and robustness. In general, ourmethod can be applied to other receptor-clustering related signaling system.

Knock-down of USP22 by small interfering RNA interference inhibits HepG2 cell proliferation and induces cell cycle arrest

The Ubiquitin--specific protease 22 (USP22) is a new putative cancer stem cell marker, which plays a significant role in tumorigenesis and cell--cycle progression. However, little is known about the impact of USP22 knock--down on the growth of human hepatoma cell lines. In this study, elevated expression of USP22 was observed in the human HepG2 hepatic cancer cell line compared to the normal human hepatocyte Chang liver cell line. Subsequently, we used siRNA specifically suppressing expression of USP22 and observed that the knock--down of USP22 could effectively induce cell cycle arrest and inhibit HepG2 cell proliferation. Furthermore, our results showed that USP22 deletion caused down--regulation of cyclin D2 expression and up--regulation of p15 and p21 expression. Collectively, Our findings indicate that USP22 may be responsible for HepG2 cell growth and USP22 regulates the cell cycle via the c--Myc/cyclin D2 pathway and down--regulating p15 and p21 expression in HepG2 cell.

Cell type-specific translational profiling in the Xenopus laevis retina

BACKGROUND

Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (TRAP), a method recently developed to generate cell type-specific translational profiles, relies on creating transgenic lines of animals in which a tagged ribosomal protein is placed under regulatory control of a cell type-specific promoter. An antibody is then used to affinity purify the tagged ribosomes so that cell type-specific mRNAs can be isolated from whole tissue lysates.

RESULTS

Here, cell type-specific transgenic lines were generated to enable TRAP studies for retinal ganglion cells and rod photoreceptors in the Xenopus laevis retina. Using real time quantitative PCR for assessing expression levels of cell type-specific mRNAs, the TRAP method was shown to selectively isolate mRNAs expressed in the targeted cell and was efficient at purifying mRNAs expressed at both high and low levels. Statistical measures used to distinguish cell type-specific RNAs from low level background and non-specific RNAs showed TRAP to be highly effective in Xenopus.

CONCLUSIONS

TRAP can be used to purify mRNAs expressed in rod photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells in X. laevis. The generated transgenic lines will enable numerous studies into the development, disease, and injury of the X. laevis retina.