Epigenetic repression of THBD transcription by BRG1 contributes to deep vein thrombosis

BACKGROUND

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) with its major complication, pulmonary embolism, is a global health problem. Endothelial dysfunction is involved in the pathogenesis of DVT. We have previously demonstrated that endothelial specific deletion of Brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1) ameliorates atherosclerosis and aneurysm in animal models. Whether endothelial BRG1 contributes to DVT development remains undetermined.

METHODS

DVT was induced in mice by ligation of inferior vena cava. Deletion of BRG1 in endothelial cells was achieved by crossing the Cdh5-ERT-Cre mice with the Brg1^loxp/loxp mice.

RESULTS

Here we report that compared to the wild type mice, BRG1 conditional knockout (CKO) mice displayed substantially decreased DVT susceptibility characterized by decreased weight and size of thrombus and reduced immune infiltration. In endothelial cells, thrombomodulin (THBD) expression was significantly decreased by TNF-α stimulation, while BRG1 knockdown or inhibition recovered THBD expression. Further analysis revealed that BRG1 deficiency decreased the CpG methylation levels of the THBD promoter induced by TNF-α. Mechanistically, BRG1 directly upregulated DNMT1 expression after TNF-α treatment in endothelial cells. More importantly, administration of a small-molecule BRG1 inhibitor PFI-3 displayed potent preventive and therapeutic potentials in the DVT model.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings implicate BRG1 as an important regulator of DVT pathogenesis likely through epigenetic regulation of THBD expression in endothelial cells and provide translational proof-of-concept for targeting BRG1 in DVT intervention.

[Building virtual simulation teaching platform based on electronic standardized patient]

Informatization is an effective way to promote the reform and innovation of higher education and improve its quality. Virtual simulation teaching is indispensable in the educational informatization. Here, we describe the development and current situation of virtual simulation teaching, and introduce electronic standardized patient (ESP) based-virtual human body system powered by the real-time human physiological parameters. We also discuss how to build an ESP-based community in the teaching of human physiology, preclinical integrated case learning and other teaching projects. These ESP-based virtual simulation projects display the advantages of interdisciplinary fusion and the combination of basic and clinical knowledge, and open up the third type of functional experiments. Therefore, ESP-based virtual simulation teaching platform presumably becomes a considerable option for the first-class course construction in physiology.

Dissemination stability and phase noise characteristics in a cascaded, fiber-based long-haul radio frequency dissemination network

To study the dissemination stability and phase noise characteristics of the cascaded fiber-based RF dissemination, we perform an experiment using three sets of RF modulated frequency dissemination systems. The experimental results show that the total transfer stability of the cascaded system can be given by σ(T)(2)=∑(i=1)(N)σ(i)(2) (σ(i) is the frequency dissemination stability of the ith segment and N is the quantity of segments). Furthermore, for each segment, the phase noise of recovered frequency signal is also measured. The results show that for an N-segment, cascaded dissemination system, its stability degrades only by a factor of N. This sub-linear relation makes the cascaded, RF-dissemination method a very attractive one for long-haul, time and frequency dissemination network.

Portable microwave frequency dissemination in free space and implications on ground-to-satellite synchronization

Frequency dissemination and synchronization in free space play an important role in global navigation satellite system, radio astronomy, and synthetic aperture radar. In this paper, we demonstrated a portable radio frequency dissemination scheme via free space using microwave antennas. The setup has a good environment adaptability and high dissemination stability. The frequency signal was disseminated at different distances ranging from 10 to 640 m with a fixed 10 Hz locking bandwidth, and the scaling law of dissemination stability on distance and averaging time was discussed. The preliminary extrapolation shows that the dissemination stability may reach 1 × 10(-12)/s in ground-to-satellite synchronization, which far exceeds all present methods, and is worthy for further study.

The Chinese First-Episode Schizophrenia Trial: background and study design

Schizophrenia is a complex illness with unknown aetiology and pathogenesis. Currently, a considerable number of patients with schizophrenia do not receive standardised and systematic treatment in China. In the past years, many controlled trials have been conducted in chronic schizophrenia. In contrast, research on first-episode schizophrenia is lacking. This paper describes the background and design of the Chinese First-Episode Schizophrenia Trial project--a multicentre, randomised, open-label clinical trial. A total of 600 first-episode schizophrenia patients were randomly divided into 3 groups and treated with risperidone, aripiprazole, and olanzapine for 1 year. During the study period, only 1 medication change of the 3 antipsychotic medications was allowed.

White organic light-emitting diodes combining vacuum deposited blue electrophosphorescent devices with red surface color conversion layers

We report white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) combining vacuum deposited blue electrophosphorescent devices with red surface color conversion layers (CCLs). With an iridium (III) [bis(4,6-di-fluoropheny)- pyridinato-N,C(2')] picolinate (FIrpic) doped 4,4'-bis(9-carbazolyl)-2,2'-dimethyl-biphenyl (CDBP) blue electrophosphorescent light emitting layer, and an appropriate red surface CCL containing 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-tert-butyl-6-(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTB), the WOLED generate high efficiency and very pure white light with a peak luminous (power) efficiency of 18.1 cd/A (9.5 lm/W) and CIE coordinates of (0.32, 0.31), very close to the equal-energy white, respectively. Moreover, the output spectra and CIE coordinates of the WOLED show no significant change at a wide range of current density.

High-efficiency and high-contrast phosphorescent top-emitting organic light-emitting devices with p-type Si anodes

We report high-efficiency and high-contrast phosphorescent topemitting organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) by employing the low reflectance p-type Si bottom anodes and the high transmittance Cs(2)CO(3)/Ag top cathodes for effective hole and electron injection. With the green electrophosphorescent material fac tris (2-phenylpyridine) iridium [Ir(ppy)(3)] doped emitting layer, the devices exhibit peak external quantum and power efficiencies of 3.5% (12 cd/A) and 4.5 lm/W, which are the highest values reported for OLEDs using Si wafers as electrodes. Moreover, these devices exhibit significantly higher contrast compared to the conventional bottom-emitting and top-emitting OLEDs with the highly reflective back electrodes.

[Observation on eggs of Oncomelania hupensis hupensis with scanning electron microscope]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the structure of the mud hull packed Oncomelania eggs and the surface structure of colloid membrane called the third grade membrane of eggs.

METHODS

Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe Oncomelania snail eggs with integral mud hull collected from eastern Dongting Lake.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The mud hull of eggs was made of unshapen small humification combined with earth granules with a diameter of 2.6-9.2 microns. The mud hull in 60 um thickness was honeycomb-like in shape with many small holes and small folds on the wall. There were many round or irregularly round hollownesses on the inner layer of mud hull that contacts colloid membrane but no hole through mud hull. There were some protein fiber networks covering on the colloid membrane and apophysis. The structure of the mud hull showed that the exchange of matter was maintained between eggs and outside, and the mud hull is of great importance to regulating temperature and moisture for the growth of eggs by preventing hydrosoluble substances from penetrating into eggs. The protein fiber networks act on gluing mud hull and buffering outside power. The dense glue membrane might be a main barricade to prevent pharmaceutical molecules from penetrating into eggs.