Salvianolic acid B protects against myocardial damage caused by nanocarrier TiO; and synergistic anti-breast carcinoma effect with curcumin via codelivery system of folic acid-targeted and polyethylene glycol-modified TiO nanoparticles.

Targeted delivery by the folate ligand is an effective way to enhance an anti-breast carcinoma effect, due to its high affinity for the folate receptor, which is overexpressed in many tumor cells. In this study, we firstly synthesized a folic acid (FA)-targeted and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified TiO nanocarrier. Then, an FA-PEG-TiO nanoparticle (NP) codelivery system loaded with curcumin and salvianolic acid B were prepared by emulsion evaporation-solidification at low temperature.

Quantification of plasmid DNA reference materials for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli based on UV, HR-ICP-MS and digital PCR.

Background: The accuracy and metrology traceability of DNA quantification is becoming a critical theme in many fields, including diagnosis, forensic analysis, microorganism detection etc. Thus the research of DNA reference materials (RMs) and consistency of DNA quantification methods has attracted considerable research interest.

Results: In this work, we developed 3 plasmid candidate RMs, containing 3 target genes of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E.

RNALocate: a resource for RNA subcellular localizations.

Increasing evidence has revealed that RNA subcellular localization is a very important feature for deeply understanding RNA's biological functions after being transported into intra- or extra-cellular regions. RNALocate is a web-accessible database that aims to provide a high-quality RNA subcellular localization resource and facilitate future researches on RNA function or structure. The current version of RNALocate documents more than 37 700 manually curated RNA subcellular localization entries with experimental evidence, involving more than 21 800 RNAs with 42 subcellular localizations in 65 species, mainly including Homo sapiens, Mus musculus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae etc.

Seeing is Believing: Tracking Translation Dynamics In Vivo.

Translation is a crucial step in transmitting genetic information from mRNA to functional protein. Four recent papers provide novel imaging approaches to directly observe translation of single mRNAs in real time in live cells, and represent a powerful toolkit to dissect the molecular mechanisms of translation regulation.

Surface Immobilization of Human Arginase-1 with an Engineered Ice Nucleation Protein Display System in E. coli.

Ice nucleation protein (INP) is frequently used as a surface anchor for protein display in gram-negative bacteria. Here, MalE and TorA signal peptides, and three charged polypeptides, 6×Lys, 6×Glu and 6×Asp, were anchored to the N-terminus of truncated INP (InaK-N) to improve its surface display efficiency for human Arginase1 (ARG1). Our results indicated that the TorA signal peptide increased the surface translocation of non-protein fused InaK-N and human ARG1 fused InaK-N (InaK-N/ARG1) by 80.

Effects of ligand binding on the mechanical stability of protein GB1 studied by steered molecular dynamics simulation.

Regulation of the mechanical properties of proteins plays an important role in many biological processes, and sheds light on the design of biomaterials comprised of protein. At present, strategies to regulate protein mechanical stability focus mainly on direct modulation of the force-bearing region of the protein. Interestingly, the mechanical stability of GB1 can be significantly enhanced by the binding of Fc fragments of human IgG antibody, where the binding site is distant from the force-bearing region of the protein.

Approach to the unfolding and folding dynamics of add A-riboswitch upon adenine dissociation using a coarse-grained elastic network model.

Riboswitches are noncoding mRNA segments that can regulate the gene expression via altering their structures in response to specific metabolite binding. We proposed a coarse-grained Gaussian network model (GNM) to examine the unfolding and folding dynamics of adenosine deaminase (add) A-riboswitch upon the adenine dissociation, in which the RNA is modeled by a nucleotide chain with interaction networks formed by connecting adjoining atomic contacts. It was shown that the adenine binding is critical to the folding of the add A-riboswitch while the removal of the ligand can result in drastic increase of the thermodynamic fluctuations especially in the junction regions between helix domains.

Anatomy Ontology Matching Using Markov Logic Networks.

The anatomy of model species is described in ontologies, which are used to standardize the annotations of experimental data, such as gene expression patterns. To compare such data between species, we need to establish relationships between ontologies describing different species. Ontology matching is a kind of solutions to find semantic correspondences between entities of different ontologies.

Evaluation of a Non-aqueous Ibuprofen-Phospholipid Complex Formulation in Rats.

Aim: In the present study, a non-aqueous ibuprofen-phospholipid complex was developed to reduce the gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity of ibuprofen.

Materials And Methods: A non-aqueous ibuprofen-phospholipid complex (IBU-PC) was prepared by mixing phosal-35SB and ibuprofen. In vitro release behavior was studied using a dissolution apparatus.

A Unique Pattern of HCV Genotype Distribution on Hainan Island in China Revealed by Evolutionary Analysis.

Background/aims: Different genotypes of HCV may differ in both disease progression and response to antiviral therapies. Hainan Island has been inhabited by the "Li" aboriginal minority for centuries. We aimed to provide a better understanding of HCV infection on Hainan Island, so that the information would help improve strategies for HCV prevention and control on the island and in the wider country.

Effect of probiotics on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients: a randomized controlled multicenter trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential preventive effect of probiotics on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Methods: This was an open-label, randomized, controlled multicenter trial involving 235 critically ill adult patients who were expected to receive mechanical ventilation for ≥48 h. The patients were randomized to receive (1) a probiotics capsule containing live Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis (Medilac-S) 0.

The Distribution and Host Shifts of Cotton-Melon Aphids in Northern China.

Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a serious pest of cotton in northern China. A microsatellite analysis was used to characterize the genetic structure of A. gossypii populations from different geographic, host plant, and seasonal populations in 2014.

Exosomes Derived from Hypoxic Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells Deliver miR-21 to Normoxic Cells to Elicit a Prometastatic Phenotype.

Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors and is associated with aggressiveness and poor patient outcomes. Exosomes, initially considered to be cellular "garbage dumpsters," are now implicated in mediating interactions with the cellular environment. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between exosomes and hypoxia during cancer progression remain poorly understood.

High-level expression and characterization of the Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis str. BSP1 YwaD aminopeptidase in Pichia pastoris.

Aminopeptidases are widely used for creating protein hydrolysates and peptide sequencing. The ywaD gene from a new Bacillus isolate, named Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis str.

Insights into the Functions of M-T Hook Structure in HIV Fusion Inhibitor Using Molecular Modeling.

HIV-1 membrane fusion plays an important role in the process that HIV-1 entries host cells. As a treatment strategy targeting HIV-1 entry process, fusion inhibitors have been proposed. Nevertheless, development of a short peptide possessing high anti-HIV potency is considered a daunting challenge.

Analysis of HCV-6 isolates among Asian-born immigrants in North America reveals their high genetic diversity and a new subtype.

We characterized full-length genomes for 15 HCV-6 isolates, all from Asian immigrants living in North America. Among these isolates, nine were novel variants showing >15% nucleotide differences from their nearest relatives, representing lineages distinct from known subtypes. The other six were classified into subtypes 6c, 6h, 6q, 6r, and 6s.

[Transplantation of free latissimus dorsimyocutaneous flaps for repairing head and neck defect after tumor resection].

Objective: To explore the value of free latissimus dorsimyocutaneous flap in repairing severe defect of head and neck after resection of tumor.

Methods: Free latissimus dorsimyocutaneous flap was used to repair defect after resection of tumor in 12 patients (13 sides) with head and neck tumors. Of them 2 cases underwent radical radiotherapy before operation.

Distribution of Cryptosporidium species in Tibetan sheep and yaks in Qinghai, China.

Few data are available on the distribution of Cryptosporidium species in Tibetan sheep and yaks, which are free-range animals living in a cold, low oxygen, and high ultraviolet radiation habitat. In this study, 904 fecal specimens were collected from 350 Tibetan sheep and 554 yaks in six counties. Cryptosporidium spp.

CXCL13 drives spinal astrocyte activation and neuropathic pain via CXCR5.

Recent studies have implicated chemokines in microglial activation and pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. C-X-C motif chemokine 13 (CXCL13) is a B lymphocyte chemoattractant that activates CXCR5. Using the spinal nerve ligation (SNL) model of neuropathic pain, we found that CXCL13 was persistently upregulated in spinal cord neurons after SNL, resulting in spinal astrocyte activation via CXCR5 in mice.

Identification of Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Biotypes from Different Host Plants in North China.

Background: The cotton-melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a polyphagous species with a worldwide distribution and a variety of biotypes. North China is a traditional agricultural area with abundant winter and summer hosts of A. gossypii.

The Intrinsic Dynamics and Unfolding Process of an Antibody Fab Fragment Revealed by Elastic Network Model.

Antibodies have been increasingly used as pharmaceuticals in clinical treatment. Thermal stability and unfolding process are important properties that must be considered in antibody design. In this paper, the structure-encoded dynamical properties and the unfolding process of the Fab fragment of the phosphocholine-binding antibody McPC603 are investigated by use of the normal mode analysis of Gaussian network model (GNM).

Enteral Nutritional Support in Patients with Head Injuries After Craniocerebral Surgery.

Aim: To explore the effect of early enteral (EN) and parenteral nutritional (PN) support on head-injured patients after craniocerebral surgery.

Material And Methods: We randomly divided 120 head trauma patients into two groups: those receiving EN and those receiving PN support (60 patients each). Physiological and biochemical indices, monitoring time and cost, and the incidence of complications were compared between the two groups.

The role of chemotherapy and operation on lymphocytes accumulation in peripheral blood obtained from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The "Cancer Immunoediting" concept has provided critical insights suggesting dual functions of immune system during the cancer initiation and development. However, the dynamics and roles of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, CD19(+) B cells, and CD56(+) NK cells in the patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma during treatment remain unclear. A total of 43 patients with OSCC were divided into different groups according to different clinical factors (TNM staging, pathological patterns, age and genders) for assessment of relations with CD3(+)CD4(+) T cells, CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells, CD3(-)CD19(+) B cells and CD3(-)CD16(+)CD56(+) NK cells and different chemotherapy and radical operation.

A functional module-based exploration between inflammation and cancer in esophagus.

Inflammation contributing to the underlying progression of diverse human cancers has been generally appreciated, however, explorations into the molecular links between inflammation and cancer in esophagus are still at its early stage. In our study, we presented a functional module-based approach, in combination with multiple data resource (gene expression, protein-protein interactions (PPI), transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulations) to decipher the underlying links. Via mapping differentially expressed disease genes, functional disease modules were identified.