Acupuncture in Treating Hepatic Fibrosis: A Review with Recommendation for Future Studies

Hepatic fibrosis, as a major medical problem, is characterized with significant morbidity and mortality. Acupuncture has potential advantages in treating hepatic fibrosis as acupuncture functions well to reduce Qi and Blood stagnation, resolve stasis and enhance body immunity, which are important factors in treating hepatic fibrosis. The aim of this review was to appraise the current limited evidence of acupuncture in treating hepatic fibrosis from both animal experiments and clinical trials by using both Chinese and western databases and to provide recommendations for future studies

Inactivation of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) 1 alpha induces obesity-associated metabolic disorders through brown adipose tissue dysfunction

published_or_final_versionThe 14th Medical Research Conference, Hong Kong, 10 January 2009. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2009, v. 15, suppl. 1, p. 40, article no. 6

Distribution and significance of interstitial fibrosis and stroma-infiltrating B cells in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

published_or_final_versio

A Comparison of Centering Algorithms in the Astrometry of Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem Images and Anthe’s Astrometric Reduction

In the CAVIAR software package, a standard tool for astrometry of images from the Cassini imaging science subsystem (ISS), Gaussian fitting is used to measure the centre of point-like objects, achieving a typical precision of about 0.2 pixels. In this work, we consider how alternative methods may improve on this. We compare three traditional centroiding methods: two-dimensional Gaussian fitting, median, and modified moment. Results using 56 selected images show that the centroiding precision of the modified moment method is significantly better than the other two methods, with standard deviations for all residuals in sample and line of 0.065 and 0.063 pixels, respectively, representing a factor of over 2 improvement compared to Gaussian fitting. Secondly, a comparison of observations using Cassini ISS images of Anthe is performed. Anthe results show a similar improvement. The modified moment method is then used to reduce all ISS images of Anthe during the period 2008–2017. The observed-minus-calculated residuals relative to the JPL SAT393 ephemeris are calculated. In terms of α × cos(δ) and δ in the Cassini-centred international celestial reference frame, mean values of all residuals are close to 0 km, and their standard deviations are less than 1 km for narrow angle camera images, and about 4 km for wide angle camera images

Tellurium quantum dots: Preparation and optical properties

Herein, we report an effective and simple method for producing Tellurium Quantum dots (TeQDs), zero-dimensional nanomaterials with great prospects for biomedical applications. Their preparation is based on the ultrasonic exfoliation of Te powder dispersed in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Sonication causes the van der Waals forces between the structural hexagons of Te to break so that the relatively coarse powder breaks down into nanoscale particles. The TeQDs have an average size of about 4 nm. UV-Vis absorption spectra of the TeQDs showed an absorption peak at 288 nm. Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and photoluminescence (PL) are used to study the optical properties of TeQDs. Both the PLE and PL peaks revealed a linear relationship against the emission and excitation energies, respectively. TeQDs have important potential applications in biological imaging and catalysis as well as optoelectronics

miR-27b Targets KSRP to Coordinate TLR4-Mediated Epithelial Defense against Cryptosporidium parvum Infection

Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and causes a diarrheal disease. Toll-like receptor (TLR)- and NF-κB-mediated immune responses from epithelial cells, such as production of antimicrobial peptides and generation of reactive nitrogen species, are important components of the host's defense against cryptosporidial infection. Here we report data demonstrating a role for miR-27b in the regulation of TLR4/NF-κB-mediated epithelial anti-Cryptosporidium parvum responses. We found that C. parvum infection induced nitric oxide (NO) production in host epithelial cells in a TLR4/NF-κB-dependent manner, with the involvement of the stabilization of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA. C. parvum infection of epithelial cells activated NF-κB signaling to increase transcription of the miR-27b gene. Meanwhile, downregulation of KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KSRP) was detected in epithelial cells following C. parvum infection. Importantly, miR-27b targeted the 3′-untranslated region of KSRP, resulting in translational suppression. C. parvum infection decreased KSRP expression through upregulating miR-27b. Functional manipulation of KSRP or miR-27b caused reciprocal alterations in iNOS mRNA stability in infected cells. Forced expression of KSRP and inhibition of miR-27b resulted in an increased burden of C. parvum infection. Downregulation of KSRP through upregulating miR-27b was also detected in epithelial cells following LPS stimulation. These data suggest that miR-27b targets KSRP and modulates iNOS mRNA stability following C. parvum infection, a process that may be relevant to the regulation of epithelial anti-microbial defense in general

Smad3 promotes cancer progression by inhibiting E4BP4-mediated NK cell development

published_or_final_versio

HPRT Mutations in Lymphocytes from 1,3-Butadiene-Exposed Workers in China

BACKGROUND: 1,3-Butadiene (BD) is an important industrial chemical and an environmental and occupational pollutant. The carcinogenicity of BD in rodents has been proved, but its carcinogenic and mutagenic molecular mechanism(s) are not fully elucidated in humans. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we compared the mutation frequencies and exon deletions of BD-exposed workers with that of control subjects in China to identify the characteristic mutations associated with BD exposure in the human HPRT (hypoxanthine–guanine–phosphoribosyltransferase) gene. METHODS: Seventy-four workers exposed to BD via inhalation and 157 matched controls were evaluated in Nanjing, China. Molecular analysis of HPRT mutant T lymphocytes from BDexposed workers and nonexposed control subjects was conducted to identify changes in the structure of the HPRT gene. A total of 783 HPRT mutants were analyzed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction, in which 368 HPRT mutants were isolated from BD-exposed workers and 415 mutants from control subjects. RESULTS: The BD-exposed workers showed a higher mutation frequency (18.2 ± 9.4 × 10 –6) than the control subjects (12.7 ± 7.3 × 10 –6), but the difference was not significant (p> 0.05). The frequency of exon deletions in BD-exposed workers (27.4%) was significantly higher than that in control subjects (12.5%) (p < 0.05), which mainly included multiplex exon deletions (2–8 exons). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that BD should increase the frequency of large deletions of HPRT gene in human lymphocytes This change confirms and supports the previous findings in BD-exposed workers. KEY WORDS: 1,3-butadiene, BD, exon deletion, HPRT gene, lymphocyte, occupational exposure. Environ Health Perspect 116:203–208 (2008). doi:10.1289/ehp.10353 available vi

The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Abbreviated PAD Emotion Scales

The study aimed at testing the reliabilityand validity of the Chinese version of Abbreviated PAD Emotion Scales using a Chinese sample. 297 Chinese undergraduate students were tested with the Chinese version of Abbreviated PAD Emotion Scales; 98 of them were retested with the same scales after seven days in order to assess thetest-retest reliability; and 102 of them were tested with SCL-90 at the same time which was intended as criteria for validity to assess the criterion validity. The results showedthat the Chinese version of Abbreviated PAD Emotion Scales displayed satisfying reliability and validity on P (pleasure-displeasure), only moderate reliability and validityon D (dominance-submissiveness), but quite low reliability and validity on A(arousal-nonarousal)The study aimed at testing the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Abbreviated PAD Emotion Scales using a Chinese sample. 297 Chinese undergraduate students were tested with the Chinese version of Abbreviated PAD Emotion Scales; 98 of them were retested with the same scales after seven days in order to assess the test-retest reliability; and 102 of them were tested with SCL-90 at the same time which was intended as criteria for validity to assess the criterion validity. The results showed that the Chinese version of Abbreviated PAD Emotion Scales displayed satisfying reliability and validity on P (pleasure-displeasure), only moderate reliability and validity on D (dominance-submissiveness), but quite low reliability and validity on A (arousal-nonarousal)