An Efficient Protocol for the Commit-Prove-Fair-Open functionality

In TCC 2006, Garay et al. introduced the notion of commit-prove-fair-open functionality in order to achieve what they called resource fairness of secure multi-party computation(MPC) with corrupted majority. The protocol realizing this notion of fairness follows the gradual release approach and, further, it can be proven secure in the simulation paradigm and enjoys composition properties. In this paper, we show a more efficient resource-fair protocol of FCPFO based on a new variant of Garay et al. time-lines and simplified Camenisch-Shoup(sCS) commitment,whose communication and computation complexity are less than 1/5 of Garay et al. construction. In addition, our new protocol allows commitment to value 0, which is not possible in the plain Garay et al. construction

Apoptotic mechanism of human leukemia K562/A02 cells induced by magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles co-loaded with daunorubicin and 5-bromotetrandrin

The purpose of this study was to assess the induced apoptosis of self-assembled iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) co-loaded with daunorubicin (DNR) and 5-bromotetrandrin (Br Tet) (DNR/Br Tet-MNPs), acting as a drug depot system for the sustained release of the loaded DNR and BrTet, in the drug resistant human leukemia K562/A02 cells and further to explore potential mechanisms. After being incubated for 48 hours, K562/A02 cells were treated with DNR/Br Tet-MNPs or DNR and Br Tet in solution (DNR/Br Tet-Sol). Morphologic characteristics of K562/A02 cells were observed under a fluorescence microscope; cell apoptosis and intracellular accumulation of DNR were analyzed by FACS Calibur flow cytometry. Furthermore, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting analyses were performed to study the apoptosis associated gene transcription and protein expression, respectively. Typical apoptotic characteristics, including chromatin condensation and fragmentation of nuclei, were observed and a high rate of apoptosis was detected in K562/A02 cells treated with DNR/Br Tet-MNPs and DNR/Br Tet-Sol. Detection of relative fluorescence intensity of intracellular DNR demonstrated that intracellular DNR was higher in K562/A02 cells treated with DNR/Br Tet-MNPs than that of DNR/Br Tet-Sol. Further study demonstrated that both DNR/Br Tet-MNPs and DNR/Br Tet-Sol reduced the gene transcriptions and protein expressions of bcl-2 and survivin and enhanced that of bax and caspase 3. It is concluded that self-assembled DNR/Br Tet-MNPs, as one of the potential antitumor agents for hematologic malignancies, may effectively induce apoptosis of K562/A02 cells through elevating the ratio of bax/bcl-2, activating caspase 3, and inactivating survivin

Synthesis and antitumor efficacy of daunorubicin-loaded magnetic nanoparticles

Jun Wang1, Baoan Chen1, Jian Chen1, Xiaohui Cai1, Guohua Xia2, Ran Liu1, Pingsheng Chen2, Yu Zhang3, Xuemei Wang31Department of Hematology and Oncology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China 210009; 2Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing; 3State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, China 210009Background: A promising approach to optimize the disposition of daunorubicin-loaded magnetic nanoparticles (DNR-MNPs) was developed to minimize serious side effects of systematic chemotherapy for cancer.Methods: The physical properties of DNR-MNPs were investigated and their effect on leukemia cells in vitro was evaluated by a standard WST-1 cell proliferation assay. Furthermore, cell apoptosis and intracellular accumulation of DNR were determined by FACSCalibur flow cytometry.Results: Our results showed that the majority of MNPs were spherical and their sizes were from 10 to 20 nm. The average hydrodynamic diameter of DNR-MNPs in water was 94 nm. The in vitro release data showed that the DNR-MNPs have excellent sustained release property. Proliferation of K562 cells was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by DNR in solution (DNR-Sol) or by DNR-MNPs. The IC50 for DNR-MNPs was slightly higher than that for DNR-Sol. DNR-MNPs also induced less apoptosis in K562 cells than did DNR-Sol. Detection of fluorescence intensity of intracellular DNR demonstrated that DNR-MNPs could be taken up by K562 cells and persistently released DNR in cells.Conclusion: Our study suggests that optimized DNR-MNPs formulation possesses sustained drug-release and favorable antitumor properties, which may be used as a conventional dosage form for antitumor therapy.Keywords: daunorubicin, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, drug delivery system, target selection, K562 cell

The changes of T lymphocytes and cytokines in ICR mice fed with Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles

The aim of this article is to study the changes inhibited T lymphocytes and cytokines related to the cellular immunity in ICR (imprinting control region) mice fed with Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4-MNPs). The Fe3O4-MNPs were synthesized, and their characteristics such as particle size, zeta potential, and X-ray diffraction patterns were measured and determined. All ICR mice were sacrificed after being exposed to 0, 300, 600, and 1200 mg/kg of Fe3O4-MNPs by single gastric administration for 14 days. Splenocytes proliferation was indicated with stimulate index by MTT assay; release of cytokines in the serum of ICR mice was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the phenotypic analyses of T-lymphocyte subsets were performed using flow cytometry. Our results indicated that there were no significant differences in splenocyte proliferation and release of cytokines between exposed and control groups. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the proportions of T-lymphocyte subsets in the low-dose Fe3O4-MNPs group when compared to the control group, but the proportions of CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets both in the medium- and high-dose Fe3O4-MNPs groups were higher than those in the control group. It is concluded that a high dose of Fe3O4-MNPs, to some extent, could influence in vivo immune function of normal ICR mice

Escherichia coli O88 induces intestinal damage and inflammatory response through the oxidative phosphorylation and ribosome pathway in Pekin ducks.

peer reviewedColibacillosis is one of the major health threats in the poultry industry worldwide. Understanding the pathogenic mechanisms involved in Escherichia coli-induced inflammatory response may lead to the development of new therapies to combat the disease. To address this, a total of 96 1-day-old male lean Pekin ducklings were employed and randomly allocated to two treatments, each with six replicates of eight ducks. Ducks in the experiment group (EG) and the control group (CG) were separately orally administered with 0.2 ml of pathogenic E. coli O88 (3 × 109 CFU/ml) or equivalent volumes of 0.9% sterile saline solution on day 7, two times with an 8-h interval. Serum and intestinal samples were collected on days 9, 14, and 28. Results showed that ducks challenged with E. coli had lower average daily gain and higher feed intake/weight gain during days 9-14 and overall (P < 0.05). Histopathological examination showed that E. coli decreased the villus height and the ratio of villus height/crypt depth in the jejunum (P < 0.05) on days 9 and 14. The intestinal barrier was disrupted, presenting in E. coli ducks having higher serum DAO and D-LA on days 9 and 14 (P < 0.05) and greater content of serum LPS on day 9 (P < 0.05). Escherichia coli infection also triggered a systemic inflammatory response including the decrease of the serum IgA, IgM, and jejunal sIgA on day 14 (P < 0.05). In addition to these, 1,062 differentially expressed genes were detected in the jejunum tissues of ducks by RNA-seq, consisting of 491 upregulated and 571 downregulated genes. Based on the KEGG database, oxidative phosphorylation and the ribosome pathway were the most enriched. These findings reveal the candidate pathways and genes that may be involved in E. coli infection, allow a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of inflammation progression and may facilitate the genetic improvement of ducks, and provide further insights to tackle the drug sensitivity and animal welfare issues

A Case report: Synovial sarcoma of the mediastinum in an 18-year-old teenager

Synovial sarcomas (SSs) are a rare group of malignant tumors originating from pluripotential mesenchymal cells, which commonly occur as the primary tumor in the soft tissues near the articular surface, tendons, and articular synovium. Herein, we report a rare case of mediastinal SS in an 18-year-old teenager who initially presented with cough as the primary symptom. In this case, plain chest CT and contrast-enhanced CT clearly revealed the lesion presenting as a round-like and uneven density mass in the mediastinum with heterogeneous enhancement, which compressed the trachea and invaded the adjacent vessels. Based on the results of immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), combined with the differential diagnosis with other types of tumors in the mediastinum on imaging, we were able to diagnose the tumor as an SS located in the mediastinum. Subsequent resection of the lesion coupled with chemotherapy and immunotherapy led to an improvement in the patient’s symptoms

Comparing the potential of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CGMCC18230 with antimicrobial growth promoters for growth performance, bone development, expression of phosphorus transporters, and excreta microbiome in broiler chickens.

peer reviewedBone health of broiler chickens is essential for welfare and production. In this study, the probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA) CGMCC18230 was compared with antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) for its ability to promote growth and bone health. To address this, a total of 180 Arbor Acres (AA) 1-day-old, male, broiler chicks were randomly allocated into 3 treatment groups, with 6 replicates, containing 10 chicks in each replicate. The treatment groups were: control group (CON) fed a corn-soybean based diet; BA treatment group fed the basal diet supplemented with 2.5 × 1010 CFU/kg BA CGMCC18230; AGPs treatment group was fed the basal diet containing the antibiotics aureomycin (75 mg/kg), flavomycin (5 mg/kg) and kitasamycin (20 mg/kg). Over the 42 d experiment, broilers fed BA and AGPs diets both had higher BW, and the ADG was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the CON group both in the grower phase (22-42 d) and overall. Moreover, with BA birds had higher (P < 0.05) serum concentrations of phosphorus (P, day 42) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP, days 21 and 42). Conversely, the content of P in excreta decreased significantly (P < 0.05) on days 21 and 42. Tibia bone mineralization was improved in BA, and the mRNA of P transport related genes PiT-1,2 in the duodenum and jejunum were significantly up-regulated in the BA group than in the CON group (P < 0.05). 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that dietary BA supplementation increased the relative abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria (Ruminococcaceae) and polyamine-producing bacteria (Akkermansia and Alistipes), which had a positive effect on bone development. These data show that dietary supplementation of BA CGMCC18320 improves broiler growth performance and bone health similar to supplementation with AGPs through up-regulation of intestinal P transporters, microbial modulation and increase P retention. However, no significant influence of BA CGMCC18320 supplementation on the retention of Ca was found

Screening and characterization of Bacillus velezensis LB-Y-1 toward selection as a potential probiotic for poultry with multi-enzyme production property

Bacillus spp. have gained increasing recognition as an option to use as antimicrobial growth promoters, which are characterized by producing various enzymes and antimicrobial compounds. The present study was undertaken to screen and evaluate a Bacillus strain with the multi-enzyme production property for poultry production. LB-Y-1, screened from the intestines of healthy animals, was revealed to be a Bacillus velezensis by the morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization. The strain was screened out by a specific screening program, possessed excellent multi-enzyme production potential, including protease, cellulase, and phytase. Moreover, the strain also exhibited amylolytic and lipolytic activity in vitro. The dietary LB-Y-1 supplementation improved growth performance and tibia mineralization in chicken broilers, and increased serum albumin and serum total protein at 21 days of age (p &lt; 0.05). Besides, LB-Y-1 enhanced the activity of serum alkaline phosphatase and digestive enzyme in broilers at 21 and 42 days of age (p &lt; 0.05). Analysis of intestinal microbiota showed that a higher community richness (Chao1 index) and diversity (Shannon index) in the LB-Y-1 supplemented compared with the CON group. PCoA analysis showed that the community composition and structure were distinctly different between the CON and LB-Y-1 group. The beneficial genera such as Parasutterella and Rikenellaceae were abundant, while the opportunistic pathogen such as Escherichia-Shigella were reduced in the LB-Y-1 supplemented group (p &lt; 0.05). Collectively, LB-Y-1 can be considered as a potential strain for further utilization in direct-fed microbial or starter culture for fermentation

Effect of magnetic nanoparticles on apoptosis and cell cycle induced by wogonin in Raji cells

Traditional Chinese medicine is gradually becoming a new source of anticancer drugs. One such example is wogonin, which is cytotoxic to various cancer cell lines in vitro. However, due to its low water solubility, wogonin is restricted to clinical administration. Recently, the application of drug-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to increase water solubility of the drug and to enhance its chemotherapeutic efficiency has attracted much attention. In this study, wogonin was conjugated with the drug delivery system of MNPs by mechanical absorption polymerization to fabricate wogonin-loaded MNPs. It was demonstrated that MNPs could strengthen wogonin-induced cell inhibition, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in Raji cells by methylthiazol tetrazolium assay, flow cytometer assay, and nuclear 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms of these phenomena were explored by western blot, in which the protein levels of caspase 8 and caspase 3 were increased significantly while those of survivin and cyclin E were decreased significantly in wogonin-MNPs group. These findings suggest that the combination of wogonin and MNPs provides a promising strategy for lymphoma therapy