Shenxiong Drop Pill exerts neuroprotective effect against focal cerebral ischemia partly via regulation of the expressions of ICAM-1 and caspase-3

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Shenxiong Drop Pill (SXDP) on cerebral infarction (CI) in rats, and the involvement of anti-inflammatory response in the process.Methods: Rats were sacrificed at three different time points, viz, 24, 48 and 72 h after establishment of CI model. Neurological deficit score (NDS) was determined using Bederson’s neurological behavioral scoring method, whereas triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to show brain injury. The integrated optical density (IOD) of Nissl bodies and caspase-3-positive nerve cells were measured with Nissl staining and SP kit, respectively. The mRNA expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1(ICAM-1) was determined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results: SXDP produced neuroprotective effect at high, medium, and low doses. The infarct volumes in the high-, medium- and low-dose SXDP, and cyclophosphamide groups were significantly reduced at each time point. Different doses of SXDP significantly reduced the mRNA expression of ICAM-1 and the IOD of caspase-3.Conclusion: These results indicate that SXDP exerts neuroprotective effects against ischemic injury by negatively regulating ICAM-1/caspase-3 downstream of inflammatory and apoptosis pathways

Liquefaction structures induced by the M5.7 earthquake on May 28, 2018 in Songyuan, Jilin Province, NE China and research implication

Acknowledgements Many thanks to Yang Wang, Wei Chen and Dong-Hao Peng from Jilin Oilfield for their help in the field investigation. We thank Dr. Lv Wang from Monash University and Dr. Gail Maxwell from the University of Aberdeen for their valuable advice on sedimentology, and we also thank Dr. Gui-Dong Ping and Dr. Zhao-Han Xie for the discussion we had about the regional tectonic stress field. We are grateful to Professor Zeng-Zhao Feng, editors and two anonymous reviewers for their editorial work and many constructive comments and suggestions that greatly improved this manuscript. Funding This study is supported by the “Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (No. JJ2016ZR0573)”, “Youth Foundation of Northeast Petroleum University (No. NEPUBS201503)”, “Northeast Petroleum University Scientific Research Start-up Fund”, “Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Depositional Mineralization and Mineral Foundation (No. DMSMZO17009)”, and “Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (No. ZR2016DB15)”. Authors’ contributions ZFS applied for the funding, performed the research, analyzed the data, compiled a few figures and wrote the manuscript. JHZ designed the work, took part in the field trip and interpreted the data. JH interpreted part of the data and revised the manuscript. BH took part in the field trip, collected data and compiled Fig. 5. XWL interpreted part of the data and revised the manuscript. ZXL collected papers and completed some figures. WMR collected some data and compiled Fig. 2. YFZ, HQY, and JLL interpreted some of the data. LTN and GXS took part in fieldwork and collected data. JJL, WXZ and BZ interpreted some data and compiled some figures. All authors approved the final manuscript. Availability of data and materials All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. Additional data related to this paper can be requested from the corresponding author.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

MODEL OF CROATIAN SEA PASSENGER PORTS MANAGEMENT RATIONALIZATION

Predmet istraživanja u ovome znanstvenom radu je razvitak pomorskoputničkih luka u Republici Hrvatskoj do 2012. godine. Za definiranje svojstava i determinanti pomorskoputničkih luka koristilo se modelom na bazi matrice rasta. Analiza i vrednovanje pojedinih elemenata modela i dobivene izravne stope rasta imale su za cilj znanstveno formulirati rezultate istraživanja, prema najvažnijim teorijskim zakonitostima razvitka pomorskoputničkih luka u Republici Hrvatskoj. Autori su se u znanstvenom istraživanju i prezentiranju rezultata istraživanja ovog rada služili kombinaciju znanstvenih metoda kao što su: metoda analize i sinteze, metoda konkretizacije, komparativna metoda i metoda modeliranja (matrica rasta). Glavna znanstvena hipoteza dokazana je izravnim stopama rasta odabranih elemenata modela a ona glasi: Znanstveno utemeljenim spoznajama o funkcioniranju i poslovanju sustava pomorskoputničkih luka moguće je predložiti model, mjere i aktivnosti za racionalno upravljanje tim lukama kako bi se osigurao rast i razvoj sustava pomorskoputničkih luka.This paper analyses the sustainable development of sea passenger ports in the Republic of Croatia until 2012. A model of growth was used in order to define the main characteristics and determinants of sea passenger ports. The purpose of the paper was to present a scientifically-based formulation of sustainable development analysis of sea passenger ports in Croatia, based on the evaluation and analysis of relevant elements and resulting direct rates. The authors in their scientific research and presentation used a various combination of scientific methods like: analysis and syntheses method, concretization method, comparative method and modeling method (growth matrix). The main scientific hypothesis is: By using scientifically based acknowledgments about functioning and management of sea passenger port system it is possible to suggest a model, measurements and activities for the rational management of sea passenger ports in Croatia in order to secure their growth and development. This scientific hypothesis was confirmed by the direct rates of growth of the model elements

Corrigendum to: The TianQin project: current progress on science and technology

In the originally published version, this manuscript included an error related to indicating the corresponding author within the author list. This has now been corrected online to reflect the fact that author Jun Luo is the corresponding author of the article

The draft genome, transcriptome, and microbiome of Dermatophagoides farinae reveal a broad spectrum of dust mite allergens

© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. Background A sequenced house dust mite (HDM) genome would advance our understanding of HDM allergens, a common cause of human allergies. Objective We sought to produce an annotated Dermatophagoides farinae draft genome and develop a combined genomic-transcriptomic-proteomic approach for elucidation of HDM allergens. Methods A D farinae draft genome and transcriptome were assembled with high-throughput sequencing, accommodating microbiome sequences. The allergen gene structures were validated by means of Sanger sequencing. The mite's microbiome composition was determined, and the predominant genus was validated immunohistochemically. The allergenicity of a ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase binding protein homologue was evaluated with immunoblotting, immunosorbent assays, and skin prick tests. Results The full gene structures of 20 canonical allergens and 7 noncanonical allergen homologues were produced. A novel major allergen, ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase binding protein-like protein, was found and designated Der f 24. All 40 sera samples from patients with mite allergy had IgE antibodies against rDer f 24. Of 10 patients tested, 5 had positive skin reactions. The predominant bacterial genus among 100 identified species was Enterobacter (63.4%). An intron was found in the 13.8-kDa D farinae bacteriolytic enzyme gene, indicating that it is of HDM origin. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed a phototransduction pathway in D farinae, as well as thiamine and amino acid synthesis pathways, which is suggestive of an endosymbiotic relationship between D farinae and its microbiome. Conclusion An HDM genome draft produced from genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic experiments revealed allergen genes and a diverse endosymbiotic microbiome, providing a tool for further identification and characterization of HDM allergens and development of diagnostics and immunotherapeutic vaccines.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Joint analysis of three genome-wide association studies of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese populations

We conducted a joint (pooled) analysis of three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) 1-3 of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in ethnic Chinese (5,337 ESCC cases and 5,787 controls) with 9,654 ESCC cases and 10,058 controls for follow-up. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, study, and two eigenvectors, two new loci achieved genome-wide significance, marked by rs7447927 at 5q31.2 (per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% CI 0.82-0.88; P=7.72x10−20) and rs1642764 at 17p13.1 (per-allele OR= 0.88, 95% CI 0.85-0.91; P=3.10x10−13). rs7447927 is a synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TMEM173 and rs1642764 is an intronic SNP in ATP1B2, near TP53. Furthermore, a locus in the HLA class II region at 6p21.32 (rs35597309) achieved genome-wide significance in the two populations at highest risk for ESSC (OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.22-1.46; P=1.99x10−10). Our joint analysis identified new ESCC susceptibility loci overall as well as a new locus unique to the ESCC high risk Taihang Mountain region

IL-8 is a novel prometastatic chemokine in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma that induces CXCR2-PI3K/AKT signaling upon CD97 activation

Abstract Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare but highly aggressive malignant tumor arising within the liver, with a 5-year survival rate of only 20–40% after surgery. The role of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in ICC progression remains elusive. A transcriptomic approach based on IL-8 stimulation first revealed significant upregulation of the prometastatic gene CD97 and key epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) factors E-cadherin and vimentin. Immunohistochemistry of 125 ICC tissues confirmed the positive correlation between IL-8 and CD97. Multivariable Cox regression indicated that they are both independent predictors of ICC prognosis. Mechanistically, IL-8 treatment induced CD97 expression at 50 and 100 ng/ml in QBC-939 and QBE cells, respectively. Moreover, the induction of cell migration and invasion upon IL-8 treatment was attenuated by CD97 RNA interference, and the expression of EMT-associated genes was dramatically inhibited. To determine whether CXCR1 or CXCR2 are downstream effectors of IL-8, siCXCR2 was applied and shown to significantly attenuate the oncogenic effects of IL-8 by inhibiting the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT. Finally, the induction of CD97 expression by the PI3K pathway was verified by treatment with the inhibitor LY294002. In vivo, the significant tumor growth and lung metastasis effects induced by intraperitoneal injection of IL-8 were greatly inhibited by silencing CD97 in nude mice. Collectively, the study presents a novel mechanism of the IL-8-CXCR2-PI3K/AKT axis in regulating CD97 expression, which leads to ICC metastasis mainly through EMT. The study may provide alternatives for targeting the tumor microenvironment in metastatic ICC

Laser Patterning of Conductive Gold Micronanostructures from Nanodots. Nanoscale 2012

Gold nanodots were used as the precursory material to form micronanopatterns under pinpoint scanning by a tightly focused femtosecond laser beam. Different from the widely reported metal ions photoreduction mechanism, here gradient force in an optical trap generated around the laser focus is considered as the major mechanism for particle accumulation (focusing). It has been proven to be an effective method for gold micronanostructure fabrication, and the electronic resistivity of the resulting metals reached as high as 5.5 Â 10 À8 U m, only twice that of the bulk material (2.4 Â 10 À8 U m). This merit makes it a novel free interconnection technology for micronanodevice fabrication. In recent years, metal micro/nano structures have attracted extensive research attention because they are the key elements for use in the following: plasmonic optical antennas, 1 plasmon resonance energy transfer, 2 concentration of light to enhance the optical response to nearby molecules such as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), 3 highly efficient three component coupling reactions, 4 colorimetric and fluorescent detection of ions and small organic molecules, 5 and especially in electronic industry applications such as interconnection in single-molecule devices, carbon nanotube (CNT) devices and DNA tubes. 6 Usual technologies for fabricating metal structures, i.e., UV-lithography, E-beam lithography (EBL), and focused ion beam etching (FIB) need expensive vacuum conditions, complex technical steps or sometimes toxic chemicals, and photoresistors or carrier gases may destroy CNT or functional molecular parts, 7 leading to low performance or even failure of devices. Twophoton absorption (TPA) processing technology 8 has been developed for producing conductive metal micronanostructures in one step and under gentle conditions. Typically, silver wires or complex structures were fabricated through TPA induced photochemical reactions by using appropriate salt solutions as the precursory source 8e,9 and adding photosensitive molecules 9a,10 as the photoinitiator. For example, Kawata et al. reported fabrication of electrically conductive silver wires with a minimum width of 400 nm and three-dimensional (3D) silver microstructures by using silver nitrate aqueous solution with coumarin 440 as a two-photon sensitive dye. Some of the current authors demonstrated a flexible 3D nanowiring approach with a minimum wire width of 125 nm for electronic connections on nonplanar substrates by using silver ions as both metal source and photoinitiator. 9d However, silver structures were instable and a silver sulfide film tended to form when exposed to air. Though gold micro/ nano structures are more stable and antioxidant, there are only a few examples of TPA induced fabrication of gold structures, 8e,10 most of which were based on photoreduction of gold ions inside polymer films. The resulting structures are generally not electronically conductive. In this communication, we developed an alternative femtosecond laser direct writing method that relies on the usage of metal nanodots 11 as precursory source instead of metal ions. The previous work was based on the in situ optical reduction to form metal atoms, however not all of the metals or other materials could be reduced in situ. We report the first preparation of good conductive gold wires and complicated structures that were created in one step through directly depositing nanodots from colloidal suspension, and assembling and fusing the nanodots to pattern desired microstructures, during which no reduction process was involved. The gold microwires were applied for the electric connection of carbon nanotube devices. The gold nanodots were synthesized in biphasic reaction conditions. 11 Tetraoctylammonium bromide (0.75 g, 2.75 mmol) was dissolved in 40 mL toluene, and hydrogen chloroaurate trihydrate (0.16 g, 0.81 mmol) was dissolved in 5 mL water. The two solutions were mixed together with stirring for 5 min. Then the aqueous phase was discarded from the flask after hydrogen chloroaurate was completely transferred into the organic phase. Hexanethiol (0.21 mL) was added before 10 mL freshly prepared aqueous sodium borohydride (0.14 g, 7.4 mmol) solution was rapidly injected into the flask, and the solution color soon became dark purple. The aqueous phase was removed again after 3 h of reaction. The remaining organic solvent was removed using a rotary evaporator. The black solid product was washed five times with methanol using centrifugal method and dried with nitrogen completely. Finally, the black powder was dissolved in toluene for use. The average diameter of nanodots in the biphasic reaction is between 1.5 nm and 4 nm, which are smaller than the ones synthesised by the Na 3 -citrate reductio