Hypolipidaemic and antioxidant properties of ethanol extract from Flos populi.

This study was undertaken to evaluate antihyperlipidaemic and in vitro antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Flos populi (EFP). The results demonstrated that EFP contains 78.5% flavonoids and 10.

Preventive effect of hydrazinocurcumin on carcinogenesis of diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinoma in male SD rats.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the preventive effects of hydrazinocurcumin (HZC) on diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in a male Sprague Dawley (SD) rat model. One hundred and twenty male SD rats used in this study were divided into six groups. Those receiving DEN with curcumin (CUR) or HZC were studied compared with the DEN-alone group.

Near-infrared active metamaterials and their applications in tunable surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

By utilizing the phase change properties of vanadium dioxide (VO2), we have demonstrated the tuning of the electric and magnetic modes of split ring resonators (SRRs) simultaneously within the near IR range. The electric resonance wavelength is blue-shift about 73 nm while the magnetic resonance mode is red-shifted about 126 nm during the phase transition from insulating to metallic phases. Due to the hysteresis phenomenon of VO2 phase transition, both the electric and magnetic modes shifts are hysteretic.

Heavy alcohol intake is a risk factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma among middle-aged men: A case-control and simulation study.

Despite the advances in surgical techniques and treatments, the prognosis of esophageal cancer remains poor, since the disease is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Therefore, prevention plays an important role in reducing mortality. Smoking and alcohol intake are modifiable habits and are important risk factors for esophageal cancer.

[Factors affecting benzene diffusion from contaminated soils to the atmosphere and flux characteristics].

The influencing factors of benzene diffusion fluxes from sand and black soil to atmosphere were investigated using a flux chamber (30.0 cm x 17.5 cm x 29.

Whole Genome Sequence of the Probiotic Strain Lactobacillus paracasei N1115, Isolated from Traditional Chinese Fermented Milk.

Lactobacillus paracasei N1115 is a new strain with probiotic properties isolated from traditional homemade dairy products in Inner Mongolia, China. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of L. paracasei N1115, which shows high similarity to the well-studied probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, and 3 structures turned out to be inversions, according to the colinearity analysis of the BLAST alignment.

Concentrations and resorption patterns of 13 nutrients in different plant functional types in the karst region of south-western China.

Background And Aims: Elucidating the stoichiometry and resorption patterns of multiple nutrients is an essential requirement for a holistic understanding of plant nutrition and biogeochemical cycling. However, most studies have focused on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and largely ignored other nutrients. The current study aimed to determine relationships between resorption patterns and leaf nutrient status for 13 nutrient elements in a karst vegetation region.

[The activity of special CTLs in diminishing CD55(high) subgroup in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells].

Objective: To investigate the activities of cytokine induced killer cells (CIK cells) and specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in killing CD55(high) subgroup in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.

Methods: The killing effects of CIK cells, and specific CTLs in diminishing CD55(high) subgroup cells were analyzed and compared with those of three chemotherapy drugs. First, the MCF-7 breast cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of three chemotherapeutic drugs, docetaxel, epirubicin and fluorouracil.

Transparent free-standing metamaterials and their applications in surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Integration of metamaterials onto a flexible substrate can provide many advantages such as transparency, deformability, light weight and biocompatibility. Here we demonstrate a simple and convenient nickel sacrificial layer-assisted transfer method to fabricate visible-near infrared (IR) metamaterials embedded into a thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film. Both the structures and the optical properties are maintained after transferring into the PDMS film from a rigid substrate.

TGFβ1 and HGF protein secretion by esophageal squamous epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts in oesophageal carcinogenesis.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) affect tumorigenesis by creating an environment primed for growth and invasion through the secretion of factors, including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1). In the present study, the levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), TGFβ1 and HGF were determined immunohistochemically in oesophageal precancerous lesions (low- and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia; LGIEN and HGIEN, respectively), carcinoma (CIS) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Comprehensive screening for multi-class veterinary drug residues and other contaminants in muscle using column-switching UPLC-MS/MS.

A quantitative multi-class analytical method covering more than 226 veterinary drugs and other contaminants in muscle, belonging to different drug families, was developed. The method is based on liquid-liquid extraction, purification by low-temperature clean-up and dispersive solid-phase extraction (D-SPE), and analysis was conducted in two analytical runs by column-switching UPLC coupled with electrospray ionisation and tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). For most of the target analytes, the optimised pre-treatment processes led to no significant interference from the sample matrix.

[Statistical characteristic analysis of soil PAHs in a coking contaminated site of China].

Statistical characteristic analysis of pollutants in contaminated sites can help identify the origin, generation, and spatial variation of different pollutants, and can reduce the uncertainty of site survey data. Taking a large and abandoned contaminated coking site of China as the object, 114 surface (0-50 cm) soil samples were collected, with the statistical and spatial characteristics of 16 priority PAHs (sigmaPAHs) analyzed. The descriptive statistical analysis indicated that the sigmaPAH levels varied significantly, and the data were severely skewed.

Metamaterials-based label-free nanosensor for conformation and affinity biosensing.

Analysis of molecular interaction and conformational dynamics of biomolecules is of paramount importance in understanding their vital functions in complex biological systems, disease detection, and new drug development. Plasmonic biosensors based upon surface plasmon resonance and localized surface plasmon resonance have become the predominant workhorse for detecting accumulated biomass caused by molecular binding events. However, unlike surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), the plasmonic biosensors indeed are not suitable tools to interrogate vibrational signatures of conformational transitions required for biomolecules to interact.

Metal artifact reduction in CT using fusion based prior image.

Purpose: In computed tomography, metallic objects in the scanning field create the so-called metal artifacts in the reconstructed images. Interpolation-based methods for metal artifact reduction (MAR) replace the metal-corrupted projection data with surrogate data obtained from interpolation using the surrounding uncorrupted sinogram information. Prior-based MAR methods further improve interpolation-based methods by better estimating the surrogate data using forward projections from a prior image.

[Expression of promyelocytic leukaemia protein in Bowen's disease, skin squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the expression of promyelocytic leukaemia (PML) protein of PML protein in Bowen's disease (BD), skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and explore the role of PML in the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Methods: PML protein in normal skin tissues and lesions of Bowen's disease, SCC and BCC were detected with immunohistochemistry.

Results: Normal skin tissues did not express PML protein.

The use of spatial autocorrelation analysis to identify PAHs pollution hotspots at an industrially contaminated site.

The identification of contamination "hotspots" are an important indicator of the degree of contamination in localized areas, which can contribute towards the re-sampling and remedial strategies used in the seriously contaminated areas. Accordingly, 114 surface samples, collected from an industrially contaminated site in northern China, were assessed for 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and were analyzed using multivariate statistical and spatial autocorrelation techniques. The results showed that the PCA leads to a reduction in the initial dimension of the dataset to two components, dominated by Chr, Bbf&Bkf, Inp, Daa, Bgp, and Nap were good representations of the 16 original PAHs; Global Moran's I statistics indicated that the significant autocorrelations were detected and the autocorrelation distances of six indicator PAHs were 750, 850, 1,200, 850, 750, and 1,200 m, respectively; there were visible high-high values (hotspots) clustered in the mid-bottom part of the site through the Local Moran's I index analysis.

Antitumor effects and mechanisms of dendritic cells stimulated by sCD40L on ovarian cancer cells in vitro.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the expression of immune suppression factors and the mechanisms of antitumor effects of cord blood dendritic cells (DCs) stimulated by soluble cluster of differentiation 40 ligand (sCD40L) and cytokines in vitro in ovarian cancer patients.

Methods: The expression levels of interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β messenger RNA in peripheral blood were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; expression levels of CD80 and CD86 in DCs stimulated by sCD40L were detected using flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy.

Results: Expression levels of IL-10 and TGF-β genes in the peripheral blood of ovarian cancer patients were significantly increased compared with patients with benign ovarian tumors (P < 0.

[Effect of topical application of a recombinant adenovirus carrying promyelocytic leukemia gene in a psoriasis-like mouse model].

Objective: To investigate the effects of topical treatment with adenovirus-mediated promyelocytic leukemia gene (PML) gene in a psoriasis-like mouse model.

Methods: The effect of adenovirus-mediated PML gene on the granular layer of mouse tail scale epidermis and epithelial mitosis were observed on longitudinal histological sections prepared from the tail skin and vaginal epithelium of the mice.

Results: Adenovirus-mediated PML gene significantly inhibited mitosis of mouse vaginal epithelial cells and promoted the formation of granular layer in mouse tail scale epidermis.

Health and ecological risk-based characterization of soil and sediment contamination in shipyard with long-term use of DDT-containing antifouling paint.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was a frequently occurring type of persistent organic environmental pollutant in China and DDT-containing antifouling paint could be the main contributor of DDT to shipyards and fishing harbors. A field survey was conducted in a shipyard in southern China to investigate the content and distribution of DDT in soil and sediments. Human health and screening-level ecological risk assessments were conducted for DDT contamination in soil and sediments and the results indicated that total DDT in all samples tested exceeded present advisory safe limits.

Optimal contrast of computed tomography portal venography using dual-energy computed tomography.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate image quality of computed tomography (CT) portal venography using nonlinear blending technique of dual-energy CT (DECT) in portal phase.

Methods: Fifty patients underwent contrast-enhanced abdominal scan with DECT at portal venous phase. The images of 2 energy levels were mixed by a nonlinear blending filter defined by blending center (BC) and blending width (BW) and compared with linear mixing images with a ratio of 0.

Organic carbon storage in four ecosystem types in the karst region of southwestern China.

Karst ecosystems are important landscape types that cover about 12% of the world's land area. The role of karst ecosystems in the global carbon cycle remains unclear, due to the lack of an appropriate method for determining the thickness of the solum, a representative sampling of the soil and data of organic carbon stocks at the ecosystem level. The karst region in southwestern China is the largest in the world.

Serum response factor is overexpressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and promotes Eca-109 cell proliferation and invasion.

Recent studies indicate that serum response factor (SRF) is highly expressed in tumors such as hepatocellular, thyroid, esophageal and lung carcinoma. However, the expression and roles of SRF in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are unclear. In this study, immunohistochemistry was used to compare the expression of SRF in ESCC cases (n=73) and normal controls (n=30).

Effect of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ agonist on angiotensin converting enzyme 2 mRNA expression in monocyte-derived macrophages of essential hypertensive patients.

Objective: To study the effect of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) agonist on the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mRNA expression in monocyte-derived macrophages of essential hypertensive patients.

Methods: Totally 57 essential hypertensive patients were randomly divided into three groups: conventional treatment group (n=18), telmisartan group (n=19), and benazepril group (n=20); 20 patients with normal blood pressure were also selected as the control group. Monocyte-derived macrophages were isolated from blood samples of patients in all four groups.

Clinical study of disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow of patients with gastric cancer.

Background/aims: Tumor micrometastasis usually occurs at early stage. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the morphology of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) and its clinical significance in bone marrow (BM) of patients with gastric cancer.

Methodology: Forty patients with gastric cancer were enrolled and mononuclear cells were separated from BMs.

Overexpression of 14-3-3σ counteracts tumorigenicity by positively regulating p73 in vivo.

14-3-3σ, one of the 14-3-3 family members, was initially identified as a human mammary epithelium-specific marker 1. The expression of 14-3-3σ is directly regulated by p53. It has been demonstrated that 14-3-3σ stabilizes p53 and enhances its transcriptional activity through the interaction with p53, suggesting that 14-3-3σ has a positive feedback effect on p53.