Uniform and highly surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS)‐active substrates have been fabricated using Ag nanoparticle arrays with unprecedented small tunable gaps. The dependence of the ...enhancing capability of the substrate on the gap size provides quantitative evidence for the collective SERS effect and confirms predictions of interparticle‐coupling‐induced Raman enhancement.
Dysbiotic oral microbiota has been associated with multiple sclerosis. However, the role and mechanism of oral microbiota in the development of multiple sclerosis are still elusive. Here, we ...demonstrated that ligature-induced periodontitis (LIP) aggravated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice, and this was likely dependent on the expansion of T helper 17 (Th17) cells. LIP increased the splenic richness of Enterobacter sp., which was able to induce the expansion of splenic Th17 cells and aggravate EAE in mice. LIP also led to enrichment of Erysipelotrichaceae sp. in the gut and increased Th17 cells in the large intestinal lamina propria of EAE mice. Fecal microbiota transplantation from EAE mice with LIP also promoted EAE symptoms. In conclusion, periodontitis exacerbates EAE, likely through ectopic colonization of oral pathobionts and expansion of Th17 cells.
Abstract Collagen VI, one of the extracellular matrix proteins, has been implicated in regulating cell proliferation and reducing apoptosis in several different systems. However, the role of collagen ...VI in the central nervous system remains unclear. In this manuscript, we demonstrated that upon ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, mouse primary hippocampal neurons specifically up-regulate the expression of Col6a1, Col6a2 , and Col6a3 mRNA and secreted collagen VI protein. Augmentation of collagen VI mRNA and protein after UV irradiation may have a neuroprotective role as suggested by the fact that extracellular supplying soluble collagen VI protein, but not other collagen proteins, reduced UV induced DNA damage, mitochondria dysfunction, and neurite shrinkage. We also tried to determine the signaling molecules that mediate the protective effect of collagen VI via Western blot and inhibitor analysis. After collagen VI treatment, UV irradiated neurons increased phosphorylation of Akt and decreased phosphorylation of JNK. Inhibiting Akt/Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K) pathway diminished the protective effect of collagen VI. Our study suggested a potential protective mechanism by which neurons up-regulate collagen VI production under stress conditions to activate Akt/PI3K anti-apoptotic signaling pathway.
This study investigated seasonal variations in the mass concentration and chemical composition of ambient aerosols observed at three stations (coastal, mountainous, and downtown sites) in northern ...Taiwan from March 2009 to February 2012. The results show that the major aerosol components include ammonium, sulfate, nitrate, sea salt, dust, organic carbon, and elemental carbon, whereas the mass fraction of each species depends on the sampling location and season. A significant correlation (r = 0.7–0.8) was observed in aerosol concentrations measured at the respective stations, indicating that aerosol concentrations were dominated by regional‐scale factors. Ammonium, sulfate, and nitrate consistently reached respective peak values in the spring in conjunction with dust particle levels. This shows that the transport of dust and particulate air pollutants from the Asian continent has affected the atmospheric environment in this area. Distinct seasonality was observed for sea salt and secondary organic carbon (SOC): sea salt levels peaked in the autumn, whereas SOC levels peaked in the summer, implying that their sources were regulated by independent seasonal factors. Correlation between sea salt concentration and surface wind speed was derived from coastal measurements and showed a high value for the wind speed sensitivity parameter of around 0.37 for our location. In addition, it was revealed that the SOC concentration in aerosols was positively correlated with oxidant photolysis index (Ox × UVB), suggesting that the SOC seasonality was dominated by hydroxyl radical production.
Key Points
Inorganic particulate pollutants and dust consistently peaked in the spring due to Asian outflow effects
Ambient concentrations of sea salt particles were exponentially correlated with surface wind speeds
The production of secondary organic aerosols was dominated by the photolysis of total oxidants
Emerging evidences suggest that necrosis is programmed and is one of the main forms of cell death in the pathological process in cardiac diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as new ...players in gene regulation. However, it is not yet clear whether lncRNAs can regulate necrosis in cardiomyocytes. Here, we report that a long noncoding RNA, named necrosis-related factor (NRF), regulates cardiomyocytes necrosis by targeting miR-873 and RIPK1 (receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1)/RIPK3 (receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3). Our results show that RIPK1 and RIPK3 participate in H2O2-induced cardiomyocytes necrosis. miR-873 suppresses the translation of RIPK1/RIPK3 and inhibits RIPK1/RIPK3-mediated necrotic cell death in cardiomyocytes. miR-873 reduces myocardial infarct size upon ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the animal model. In exploring the molecular mechanism by which miR-873 expression is regulated, we identify NRF as an endogenous sponge RNA and repress miR-873 expression. NRF directly binds to miR-873 and regulates RIPK1/RIPK3 expression and necrosis. Knockdown of NRF antagonizes necrosis in cardiomyocytes and reduces necrosis and myocardial infarction upon I/R injury. Further, we identify that p53 transcriptionally activates NRF expression. P53 regulates cardiomyocytes necrosis and myocardial I/R injury through NRF and miR-873.Our results identify a novel mechanism involving NRF and miR-873 in regulating programmed necrosis in the heart and suggest a potential therapeutic avenue for cardiovascular diseases.
Icotinib has been previously shown to be non-inferior to gefitinib in non-selected advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients when given as second- or further-line treatment. In this open-label, ...randomized, phase 3 CONVINCE trial, we assessed the efficacy and safety of first-line icotinib versus cisplatin/pemetrexed plus pemetrexed maintenance in lung adenocarcinoma patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation.
Eligible participants were adults with stage IIIB/IV lung adenocarcinoma and exon 19/21 EGFR mutations. Participants were randomly allocated (1 : 1) to receive oral icotinib or 3-week cycle of cisplatin plus pemetrexed for up to four cycles; non-progressive patients after four cycles were maintained with pemetrexed until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by independent response evaluation committee. Other end points included overall survival (OS) and safety.
Between January 2013 and August 2014, 296 patients were randomized, and 285 patients were treated (148 to icotinib, 137 to chemotherapy). Independent response evaluation committee-assessed PFS was significantly longer in the icotinib group (11.2 versus 7.9 months; hazard ratio, 0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.43-0.87; P = 0.006). No significant difference for OS was observed between treatments in the overall population or in EGFR-mutated subgroups (exon 19 Del/21 L858R). The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) in the icotinib group were rash (14.8%) and diarrhea (7.4%), compared with nausea (45.9%), vomiting (29.2%), and neutropenia (10.9%) in the chemotherapy group. AEs (79.1% versus 94.2%; P < 0.001) and treatment-related AEs (54.1% versus 90.5%; P < 0.001) were significantly fewer in the icotinib group than in the chemotherapy group.
First-line icotinib significantly improves PFS of advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR mutation with a tolerable and manageable safety profile. Icotinib should be considered as a first-line treatment for this patient population.
The amyloid-β protein (Aβ) protein plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is believed that Aβ deposited in the brain originates from the brain tissue itself. ...However, Aβ is generated in both brain and peripheral tissues. Whether circulating Aβ contributes to brain AD-type pathologies remains largely unknown. In this study, using a model of parabiosis between APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic AD mice and their wild-type littermates, we observed that the human Aβ originated from transgenic AD model mice entered the circulation and accumulated in the brains of wild-type mice, and formed cerebral amyloid angiopathy and Aβ plaques after a 12-month period of parabiosis. AD-type pathologies related to the Aβ accumulation including tau hyperphosphorylation, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and microhemorrhage were found in the brains of the parabiotic wild-type mice. More importantly, hippocampal CA1 long-term potentiation was markedly impaired in parabiotic wild-type mice. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to reveal that blood-derived Aβ can enter the brain, form the Aβ-related pathologies and induce functional deficits of neurons. Our study provides novel insight into AD pathogenesis and provides evidence that supports the development of therapies for AD by targeting Aβ metabolism in both the brain and the periphery.
Many patients who require allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) lack a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched donor. Here, we report a protocol for haploidentical allo-HSCT ...that combines granulocyte-colony stimulating factor primed bone marrow (G-BM) and peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) without in vitro T-cell depletion (TCD). In this study, 171 patients, including 86 in high-risk group, underwent transplantation from haploidentical family donors. All patients achieved sustained, full donor chimerism. One hundred and eleven patients were alive in remission at a median of 682 (253-1502) days. The cumulative incidence of grade III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 23% and that of extensive chronic GVHD, 47%; these were not influenced by HLA disparity. Patients younger than 15 years had less grade III-IV acute GVHD than older patients (P=0.044). The 2-year probability of relapse was 12% for standard-risk disease and 39% for high-risk disease. The 2-year probability of leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 68% for standard-risk patients and 42% for high-risk patients (P=0.0009). Grade III-IV acute GVHD was associated with better LFS (P=0.0017). The results require confirmation and show that G-BM combined with PBSC from haploidentical family donors, without in vitro TCD, may be used as a good source of stem cells for allo-HSCT.
The bilayer-based Antiferroelectric Tunneling Junction (AFTJ) with ferroelectric (FE) HfZrO 2 (HZO) and dielectric (DE) Al 2 O 3 demonstrates a current ratio of <inline-formula> <tex-math ...notation="LaTeX">> 100\times </tex-math></inline-formula>, a TER (tunneling electroresistance) of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">> 50\times </tex-math></inline-formula>, multilevel states, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">> 10^{4} </tex-math></inline-formula> sec retention, and a cycling endurance as high as 10 8 . The concept of tunneling current through DE in an antiferroelectric (AFE) system enhances the capacity to modulate the current/TER ratio and makes the AFTJ feasible for low-power crossbar eNVM (embedded nonvolatile memory) applications.
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