IFN-λ1 enhances Staphylococcus aureus clearance in healthy nasal mucosa but not in nasal polyps.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is characterized by T2-skewed inflammation and increased colonization by Staphylococcus aureus. IFN-λ1 is known for its antiviral activity, but there is little information on its antibacterial role.

Objective: We sought to determine the expression and release of IFN-λ1 from nasal mucosal tissue of healthy subjects and patients with CRSwNP on exposure to S aureus and assess its potential role in antibacterial defense mechanisms.

MicroRNAs regulating mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis and transforming growth factor β signaling pathways in nasal mucosa of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps in Northern China.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a persistent sinonasal mucosa inflammatory disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) that are involved in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP in Northern China remain unknown.

Methods: A miRCURY™ LNA Array was used to analyze miRNA profiles in nasal mucosa tissues of CRSwNP patients (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 10).

Elevation of autophagy rescues spermatogenesis by inhibiting apoptosis of mouse spermatocytes.

Autophagy and apoptosis are interlocked in an extensive crosstalk. Our previous study demonstrated that hypotonic hypoxia-induced marked apoptosis of a spermatocyte-derived cell line (GC-2). However, whether hypoxia-induced apoptosis is mediated by inhibition of autophagy under hypoxic conditions remains unclear.

Identification of small-molecule ion channel modulators in C. elegans channelopathy models.

Ion channels are important therapeutic targets, but the discovery of ion channel drugs remains challenging due to a lack of assays that allow high-throughput screening in the physiological context. Here we report C. elegans phenotype-based methods for screening ion channel drugs.

Development and characterization of DNAzyme candidates demonstrating significant efficiency against human rhinoviruses.

Background: Infections with human rhinoviruses (RVs) are responsible for millions of common cold episodes and the majority of asthma exacerbations, especially in childhood. No drugs specifically targeting RVs are available.

Objective: We sought to identify specific anti-RV molecules based on DNAzyme technology as candidates to a clinical study.

Uric acid: a potent molecular contributor to pluripotent stem cell cardiac differentiation via mesoderm specification.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common cause of congenital anomaly and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Generation of cardiomyoctyes derived from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) has opened new avenues for investigation of human cardiac development. Here we report that uric acid (UA), a physiologically abundant compound during embryonic development, can consistently and robustly enhance cardiac differentiation of human PSCs including hESCs and hiPSCs, in replacement of ascorbic acid (AA).

De Novo Molecular Design of a Novel Octapeptide That Inhibits In Vivo Melanogenesis and Has Great Transdermal Ability.

Cutaneous hyperpigmentation from excess melanogenesis causes serious pigmentary disorders and even melasma. Short peptides (SPs) are garnering attention lately owing to their therapeutic potential in dermatological diseases and low systemic side effects. Here, we show an octapeptide, ansin2, designed de novo from antioxidant SPs we previously reported, significantly inhibiting melanogenesis in B16 cells by decreasing tyrosinase production via regulating the MITF pathway.

Effect of Exercise on Physical Recovery of People with Locked-In Syndrome after Stroke: What Do We Know from the Current Evidence? A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Locked-in syndrome (LIS) results from a brainstem lesion in the pons. Ischemic stroke is the most common etiology of LIS. People with LIS have poor mobility with serious complications due to immobilization.

Diagnostic Value of Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography for Screening Breast Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) is a new image examination technology that has developed over the past few years. As CESM technology keeps improving, a current meta-analysis review is needed to systematically evaluate the potential diagnostic value of CESM.

Methods: A total of 18 studies were included in the review.

A monitoring survey and dietary risk assessment for pesticide residues on peaches in China.

The presence of pesticide residues in fruit has been of extensive concern worldwide. In this paper, pesticide residues in peach samples in China and their dietary exposure risks for the Chinese general population and children were evaluated. Thirty-nine different pesticides were detected, and 92.

Staphylococcus aureus Induces a Mucosal Type 2 Immune Response via Epithelial Cell-derived Cytokines.

Rationale: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps is characterized by a T-helper cell type 2-skewed upper airway inflammation. Mucosal Staphylococcus aureus colonization is found in the majority of patients with nasal polyps. S.

The preparation of oleylamine modified micro-size sphere silver particles and its application in crystalline silicon solar cells.

In this paper, micro-sized silver particles were prepared using a simple chemical approach without adjusting the pH of the solution, and oleylamine as a capping agent was described to promote the dispersion of the silver particles. The effects of temperature, feeding time and stirring speed on the morphology and size distribution of silver particles were discussed. The optimal reaction parameters (35 °C, 45 min, 300 rpm) for large scale industrial production were selected to obtained optimal silver particles for preparation of the silver paste for poly-crystalline silicon solar cells.

A net-shaped multicellular formation facilitates the maturation of hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes through mechanical and electrophysiological stimuli.

The use of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) is limited in drug discovery and cardiac disease mechanism studies due to cell immaturity. Although many approaches have been reported to improve the maturation of hiPSC-CMs, the elucidation of the process of maturation is crucial. We applied a small-molecule-based differentiation method to generate cardiomyocytes (CMs) with multiple aggregation forms.

[Determination of cyanamide residue in grapes and cherries by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry coupled with precolumn derivatization].

A method was developed for the quantitative determination of cyanamide in grapes and cherries by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) coupled with dansyl chloride (DNS) precolumn derivatization. First, the samples were homogenized, and then extracted with ethyl acetate under ultrasonication. The water was removed using anhydrous sodium sulfate, and the extract was concentrated and derivatized with dansyl chloride under alkaline condition.

CD40L promotes development of acute aortic dissection via induction of inflammation and impairment of endothelial cell function.

Acute aortic dissection is one of the most lethal cardiovascular disease. The major histopathological feature of AAD is medial degradation, especially breakdown of elastin and collagen. However, the underlying mechanism remains a mystery.

Python Cathelicidin CATHPb1 Protects against Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcal Infections by Antimicrobial-Immunomodulatory Duality.

Multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant) and VRSA (vancomycin-resistant), causes serious healthcare-associated infections, even sepsis and death. Here, we identified six novel cathelicidins (CATHPb1-6) from Python bivittatu, and CATHPb1 displayed the best in vitro pharmacological and toxicological profile. We further show that CATHPb1 exhibited evident protection in mice MRSA/VRSA infection models, given either 24 h before or 4 h after infection.

Frequency of antimicrobial resistance and integron gene cassettes in Escherichia coli isolated from giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in China.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is considered as a common opportunistic pathogen, which causes seriously intestinal infections to giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and other animals. The aim of this investigation was to characterize the antimicrobial resistance and integron gene cassettes in E.

The Complement C3aC3aR Axis Promotes Development of Thoracic Aortic Dissection via Regulation of MMP2 Expression.

Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD), once ruptured, is devastating to patients, and no effective pharmaceutical therapy is available. Anaphylatoxins released by complement activation are involved in a variety of diseases. However, the role of the complement system in TAD is unknown.

Analysis of the influence of living environment and age on vaginal fungal microbiome in giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) by high throughput sequencing.

A recent study has described the normal vaginal bacterial community in giant pandas, but there is a lack of knowledge of the fungal community residing in the vagina of giant pandas. In order to comprehensively understand the vaginal fungal microbial diversity and abundance in giant pandas, high throughput sequencing was used to analyse the ITS1 region, based on thirteen samples taken from the pandas' vaginas, which were grouped by sampling points and age. The results showed that the most abundant phyla were Basidiomycota (73.

Chinese Herbal Medicine to Treat Allergic Rhinitis: Evidence From a Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been widely used in China to treat allergic rhinitis (AR). However, several studies have produced conflicting data with regard to the efficacy of the medicine. Our aim was to perform a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to evaluate the relative efficacy of CHM.

[Relationship between structure and function of cathelicidins and their molecular design: a review].

Cathelicidins play critical roles in mammalian innate immune defense against invasive bacterial infection. In addition to their broad-spectrum bactericidal effect, cathelicidins are interesting peptide-based drug templates because they have multiple functions including anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and angiogenesis promotion. This article summarizes the aim and method of cathelicidin molecular designs.