catena-Poly[[(diaqua­calcium)-bis­(μ-2-fluorobenzoato)-1′:1κ3 O:O,O′;1:1′′κ3 O,O′:O] 2,2′-bipyridine hemi­solvate]

In the title compound, {[Ca(C7H4FO2)2(H2O)2]·0.5C10H8N2}n, the CaII atom is coordinated by eigth O atoms from four 2-fluoro­benzoate ligands and two water mol­ecules, resulting in a distorted CaO8 square-anti­prismatic coordination environment. The 2-fluoro­benzoate ligand bridges two symmetry-related CaII atoms, giving rise to a chain structure extending along [100]. The distances between the Ca atom and its two symmetry-related counterparts are 4.054 (2) and 4.106 (2) Å. The polymeric chains are connected by classical O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds into a layer structure parallel to (010). The layers are connected by non-classical C—H⋯F hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional supra­molecular structure. O—H⋯O and C—H⋯O inter­actions also occur. The uncoordinated 2,2′-bipyridine mol­ecule is located on a centre of symmetry at the mid-point of the bond between the two heterocycles. One of the two benzene rings is disordered over two sites with occupancy factors of 0.60 and 0.40

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation is required for itch sensation in the spinal cord

BACKGROUND: Itch, chronic itch in particular, can have a significant negative impact on an individual’s quality of life. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying itch processing in the central nervous system remain largely unknown. RESULTS: We report here that activation of ERK signaling in the spinal cord is required for itch sensation. ERK activation, as revealed by anti-phosphorylated ERK1/2 immunostaining, is observed in the spinal dorsal horn of mice treated with intradermal injections of histamine and compound 48/80 but not chloroquine or SLIGRL-NH2, indicating that ERK activation only occurs in histamine-dependent acute itch. In addition, ERK activation is also observed in 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced itch. Consistently, intrathecal administration of the ERK phosphorylation inhibitor U0126 dramatically reduces the scratching behaviors induced by histamine and DNFB, but not by chloroquine. Furthermore, administration of the histamine receptor H1 antagonist chlorpheniramine decreases the scratching behaviors and ERK activation induced by histamine, but has no effect on DNFB-induced itch responses. Finally, the patch-clamp recording shows that in histamine-, chloroquine- and DNFB-treated mice the spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSC) of dorsal horn neurons is increased, and the decrease of action potential threshold is largely prevented by bathing of U0126 in histamine- and DNFB-treated mice but not those treated with chloroquine. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate a critical role for ERK activation in itch sensation at the spinal level

An analysis of risk factors of non-fatal drowning among children in rural areas of Guangdong Province, China: a case-control study

<p/> <p>Background</p> <p>Drowning is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for children, yet non-fatal drowning remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to explore potential modifiable risk factors of non-fatal drowning among children in rural areas of China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional survey was first conducted to obtain non-fatal drowning cases, and 7432 students in grades three to eight from 17 schools participated in the cross sectional survey. Of these, 805 students reported that they experienced non-fatal drowning in the previous year. Then 368 cases were selected randomly to participate in a 1:1 matched case-control study. Each drowning case was matched by one control with the same sex and similar age (the gap less than 2 years) who was selected randomly from the same class.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Boys were more likely to be involved in non-fatal drowning. Non-fatal drowning most often happened in the afternoon (65.1%) and natural bodies of water were the most common sites of drowning (71.1%). Swimming, diving and playing in natural waters were the leading activities that preceded non-fatal drowning. The significant risk factors for non-fatal drowning were swimming in natural waters without adult supervision (OR = 3.40, 95% CI: 1.92-6.03), playing in or beside natural waters (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.17-3.70) and poor swimming skills (OR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.14-6.62). However, the following variables were protective factors: supervisor aged 30 years or over (OR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.09-0.49) and no water activities (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.18-0.70).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The reduction in dangerous water activities, swimming training and enhancement in supervision among children might decrease the risk of non-fatal drowning.</p

Identification of subtype-specific metastasis-related genetic signatures in sarcoma

Background: Sarcomas are heterogeneous rare malignancies constituting approximately 1% of all solid cancers in adults and including more than 70 histological and molecular subtypes with different pathological and clinical development characteristics. Method: We identified prognostic biomarkers of sarcomas by integrating clinical information and RNA-seq data from TCGA and GEO databases. In addition, results obtained from cell cycle, cell migration, and invasion assays were used to assess the capacity for Tanespimycin to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of sarcoma. Results: Sarcoma samples (N = 536) were divided into four pathological subtypes including DL (dedifferentiated liposarcoma), LMS (leiomyosarcoma), UPS (undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas), and MFS (myxofibrosarcoma). RNA-seq expression profile data from the TCGA dataset were used to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within metastatic and non-metastatic samples of these four sarcoma pathological subtypes with DEGs defined as metastatic-related signatures (MRS). Prognostic analysis of MRS identified a group of genes significantly associated with prognosis in three pathological subtypes: DL, LMS, and UPS. ISG15, NUP50, PTTG1, SERPINE1, and TSR1 were found to be more likely associated with adverse prognosis. We also identified Tanespimycin as a drug exerting inhibitory effects on metastatic LMS subtype and therefore can serve a potential treatment for this type of sarcoma. Conclusions: These results provide new insights into the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of sarcomas and provide new directions for further study of sarcoma

A mouse line for inducible and reversible silencing of specific neurons

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Acknowledgements: We thank Dr. Joseph W. Lynch for sharing the IVMR plasmid, and Dr. Lisa M. Monteggia for sharing the AAV2-Cre plasmid. Rosa-CAG targeting vector was obtained from Addgenes. This work was supported by the Key State Research Program from Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2011CB510005, 2012CB966900, 2013CB835103), National Natural Science Foundation of China (81221001, 81200692, 81101026, 31100788, 31271182, 31030034, 91232724), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (12XD1404800), Shanghai Pujiang Program (12PJ1408800), Key Disciplines Group Construction Project of Pudong Health Bureau of Shanghai (PWZxq2014-04) and Sino-UK Higher Education Research Partnership for PhD Studies.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Validity and Reliability of the Dyslexia Checklist for Chinese Children

The study on developmental dyslexia (DD) has fairly matured in the past decades, even when there is a lack of a standardized and convenient instrument for dyslexia in the Chinese population. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Dyslexia Checklist for Chinese Children (DCCC), which was administered to Chinese students in primary school. A total of 545 students from grades 2 through 6 were recruited in Wuhan to participate in this study. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the structure validity of the DCCC. Concurrent validity was determined via correlations between the DCCC and the verbal comprehension index (VCI), and Chinese achievement. The reliability of the DCCC was assessed via test-retest reliability and internal consistency. The CFA suggested that the first order model with eight factors and 55 items fit the data well (RMSEA = 0.057, CFI = 0.930, and TLI = 0.925). The DCCC was negatively associated with VCI (r = −0.218) and Chinese achievement (r = −0.372). The test-retest reliability of the DCCC was 0.734, and the internal consistency of all subscales was above 0.752. The DCCC thus proved to have adequate validity and reliability to screen Chinese dyslexia among students in grades 2 through 6

Enhanced antitumor immunity by targeting dendritic cells with tumor cell lysate-loaded chitosan nanoparticles vaccine

Whole tumor cell lysates (TCL) have been implemented as tumor antigens for cancer vaccine development, although clinical outcomes of TCL-based antitumor immunotherapy remain unsatisfactory. In order to improve the efficacy of TCL-based vaccines, biomaterials have been employed to enhance antigen delivery and presentation. Here, we have developed chitosan nanoparticles (CTS NPs) with surface mannose (Man) moieties for specific dendritic cells (DCs) targeting (Man-CTS NPs). The Man-CTS NPs were then loaded with TCL generated from B16 melanoma cells (Man-CTS-TCL NPs) for in vitro and in vivo assessment. Potency of the Man-CTS-TCL NPs as cancer vaccine was also assessed in vivo by immunization of mice with Man-CTS-TCL NPs followed by re-challenge with B16 melanoma cell inoculation. We have shown here that Man-CTS-TCL NPs promote bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) maturation and antigen presentation in vitro. In vivo evaluation further demonstrated that the Man-CTS-TCL NPs were readily taken up by endogenous DCs within the draining lymph node (DLN) following subcutaneous administration accompanied by increasing in serum IFN-γ and IL-4 levels. Tumor growth was also significantly delayed in mice primed with Man-CTS-TCL NPs vaccine, attributable at least in part to cytotoxic T lymphocytes response. Moreover, Man-CTS-TCL NPs vaccine also exhibited therapeutic effects in mice with melanoma. Thus, we report here the Man-CTS-TCL NPs as effective anti-tumor vaccine for cancer immunotherapy

Posterior scleral application of a mitomycin C-soaked sponge during trabeculectomy

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of posterior scleral application (a modified technique) of an antimetabolite mitomycin C-soaked sponge in trabeculectomy for patients with glaucoma. METHODS: This retrospective study included 101 patients (115 eyes) with glaucoma (aged 12–83y) who underwent trabeculectomy using a modified mitomycin C-soaked sponge placement method. A piece of 3.5×10 mm2 sponge was placed vertically and posteriorly with the long side perpendicular to the limbus. The mitomycin C concentration and exposure time were 0.2–0.5 mg/mL and 1–5min, respectively. Intraocular pressure, best-corrected visual acuity, and hypotensive medications were recorded at baseline and at the final visit. Complications, interventions required, and bleb morphology were recorded postoperatively. The primary outcome was trabeculectomy safety, including complications and bleb morphology; the secondary outcome was the trabeculectomy success rate. RESULTS: At the final follow-up [median 28mo, range 7–67mo and interquartile range (IQR) 13mo], the qualified (cumulative) success rate was 93.0% and the complete success rate was 60.0%. No bleb-related complications were observed. The mean height, extent, and vascularity grades were 0.6±0.9, 1.1±0.4, and 2.4±0.9, respectively. All Seidel tests were negative. The mean posteriority grade was 0.8±0.4. CONCLUSION: Trabeculectomy with the long side of a mitomycin C-soaked sponge placed perpendicular to the corneal limbus is safe and effective