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1.
Nature ; 630(8017): 619-624, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38898294

ABSTRACT

The basal plane of graphene can function as a selective barrier that is permeable to protons1,2 but impermeable to all ions3,4 and gases5,6, stimulating its use in applications such as membranes1,2,7,8, catalysis9,10 and isotope separation11,12. Protons can chemically adsorb on graphene and hydrogenate it13,14, inducing a conductor-insulator transition that has been explored intensively in graphene electronic devices13-17. However, both processes face energy barriers1,12,18 and various strategies have been proposed to accelerate proton transport, for example by introducing vacancies4,7,8, incorporating catalytic metals1,19 or chemically functionalizing the lattice18,20. But these techniques can compromise other properties, such as ion selectivity21,22 or mechanical stability23. Here we show that independent control of the electric field, E, at around 1 V nm-1, and charge-carrier density, n, at around 1 × 1014 cm-2, in double-gated graphene allows the decoupling of proton transport from lattice hydrogenation and can thereby accelerate proton transport such that it approaches the limiting electrolyte current for our devices. Proton transport and hydrogenation can be driven selectively with precision and robustness, enabling proton-based logic and memory graphene devices that have on-off ratios spanning orders of magnitude. Our results show that field effects can accelerate and decouple electrochemical processes in double-gated 2D crystals and demonstrate the possibility of mapping such processes as a function of E and n, which is a new technique for the study of 2D electrode-electrolyte interfaces.


Subject(s)
Graphite , Protons , Graphite/chemistry , Hydrogenation , Catalysis
2.
Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao ; 43(10): 1761-1770, 2023 Oct 20.
Article in Chinese | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37933652

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression levels of LINC00342 in gastric cancer (GC) tissues and cells and the pathways mediating its effects on biological behaviors of GC cells. METHODS: Bioinformatic analysis was performed to identify the lncRNAs and their downstream miRNAs involved in regulation of biological behaviors of GC cells. qRT-PCR was used to analyze the differential expression of LINC00342 and miR-596 in GC cell lines, human gastric mucosal cells, and GC and adjacent tissues. In human GC MGC-803 and MGC-823 cells, the effects of LINC00342 overexpression, miR-596 overexpression, LINC00342 knockdown, or miR-596 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle changes were examined using Edu assay, CCK-8 assay, wound healing assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry. The regulatory interaction between LINC00342 and miR-596 was investigated using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: Informatic analysis identified LINC00342 as the candidate lncRNA regulating biological behaviors of GC cells, with miR-596 as its downstream miRNA. LINC00342 expression levels were significantly higher while miR-596 expression levels were lower in GC tissues and cell lines than in the paired adjacent tissues and human gastric mucosal cell lines (all P<0.05). In MGC-803 and MGC-823 cells, overexpression of LINC00342 significantly enhanced cell proliferation (P<0.05), migration (P<0.01), and invasion (P<0.001) and reduced the percentage of G0/G1 phase cells (P<0.01), while knocking down LINC00342 significantly suppressed cell proliferation (P<0.05), migration (P<0.01), and invasion (P<0.001) and increased G0/G1 phase cell percentage (P<0.01). Modulation of miR-596 expression levels produced the opposite effects. Dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed the specific binding between LINC00342 and miR-596 (P=0.0067). CONCLUSION: In GC cells, LINC00342 regulates cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting miR-596.


Subject(s)
MicroRNAs , RNA, Long Noncoding , Stomach Neoplasms , Humans , RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics , Stomach Neoplasms/genetics , Cell Line, Tumor , Neoplasm Invasiveness/genetics , MicroRNAs/genetics , Cell Proliferation , Luciferases/genetics , Cell Movement , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
3.
Nat Commun ; 14(1): 6932, 2023 Oct 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37907470

ABSTRACT

Recent experiments demonstrated that proton transport through graphene electrodes can be accelerated by over an order of magnitude with low intensity illumination. Here we show that this photo-effect can be suppressed for a tuneable fraction of the infra-red spectrum by applying a voltage bias. Using photocurrent measurements and Raman spectroscopy, we show that such fraction can be selected by tuning the Fermi energy of electrons in graphene with a bias, a phenomenon controlled by Pauli blocking of photo-excited electrons. These findings demonstrate a dependence between graphene's electronic and proton transport properties and provide fundamental insights into molecularly thin electrode-electrolyte interfaces and their interaction with light.

4.
Nature ; 620(7975): 782-786, 2023 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37612394

ABSTRACT

Defect-free graphene is impermeable to all atoms1-5 and ions6,7 under ambient conditions. Experiments that can resolve gas flows of a few atoms per hour through micrometre-sized membranes found that monocrystalline graphene is completely impermeable to helium, the smallest atom2,5. Such membranes were also shown to be impermeable to all ions, including the smallest one, lithium6,7. By contrast, graphene was reported to be highly permeable to protons, nuclei of hydrogen atoms8,9. There is no consensus, however, either on the mechanism behind the unexpectedly high proton permeability10-14 or even on whether it requires defects in graphene's crystal lattice6,8,15-17. Here, using high-resolution scanning electrochemical cell microscopy, we show that, although proton permeation through mechanically exfoliated monolayers of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride cannot be attributed to any structural defects, nanoscale non-flatness of two-dimensional membranes greatly facilitates proton transport. The spatial distribution of proton currents visualized by scanning electrochemical cell microscopy reveals marked inhomogeneities that are strongly correlated with nanoscale wrinkles and other features where strain is accumulated. Our results highlight nanoscale morphology as an important parameter enabling proton transport through two-dimensional crystals, mostly considered and modelled as flat, and indicate that strain and curvature can be used as additional degrees of freedom to control the proton permeability of two-dimensional materials.

5.
Nat Commun ; 13(1): 5776, 2022 Oct 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36182944

ABSTRACT

Strong electric fields can accelerate molecular dissociation reactions. The phenomenon known as the Wien effect was previously observed using high-voltage electrolysis cells that produced fields of about 107 V m-1, sufficient to accelerate the dissociation of weakly bound molecules (e.g., organics and weak electrolytes). The observation of the Wien effect for the common case of water dissociation (H2O [Formula: see text] H+ + OH-) has remained elusive. Here we study the dissociation of interfacial water adjacent to proton-permeable graphene electrodes and observe strong acceleration of the reaction in fields reaching above 108 V m-1. The use of graphene electrodes allows measuring the proton currents arising exclusively from the dissociation of interfacial water, while the electric field driving the reaction is monitored through the carrier density induced in graphene by the same field. The observed exponential increase in proton currents is in quantitative agreement with Onsager's theory. Our results also demonstrate that graphene electrodes can be valuable for the investigation of various interfacial phenomena involving proton transport.

6.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 24(20): 10779-10789, 2020 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33155238

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is the most common complication of ischemic cardiomyopathy, which severely affects the prognosis of patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of visfatin on the myocardium after ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and its mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats were used to construct the MIRI model and visfatin was administrated intraperitoneally in rats to determine the protective effect of visfatin on myocardium after I/R. In addition, visfatin was used to treat rat myocardial cell line H9c2 cells and detect its effect on H9c2 cells. The effect of visfatin on the PI3K/Akt/HSP70 signaling axis in H9c2 cells was also detected to determine the mechanism of the myocardial protection of visfatin. RESULTS: The damage of cardiomyocytes in MIRI rats pretreated with visfatin was significantly improved compared with untreated MIRI rats. Visfatin also reduced the level of inflammation and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in MIRI rats, reduced myocardial injury markers, and improved cardiac function. In vitro, visfatin also reduced inflammatory and apoptotic factors in H9c2 cells. In addition, visfatin also promoted the activity of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and increased HSP70 expression in H9c2 cells. The inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was found to attenuate the promotion of HSP70 by visfatin. SiRNA-HSP70 also attenuated the protective effect of visfatin on H9c2 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Visfatin reduces the inflammation and apoptosis levels of myocardial cells through the PI3K/Akt/HSP70 signaling axis, thereby reducing I/R-induced myocardial injury.


Subject(s)
HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism , Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/drug therapy , Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase/pharmacology , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Animals , Cells, Cultured , Disease Models, Animal , Injections, Intraperitoneal , Male , Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/metabolism , Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/pathology , Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase/administration & dosage , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Signal Transduction/drug effects
7.
J Microsc ; 279(1): 16-25, 2020 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32266723

ABSTRACT

It has been considered as a great challenge to identify the blending ratio of polyester/cotton yarn in the field of textile industry. A new digital cross-sectional image processing method based on geometrical shape analysis is proposed to improve the measurement accuracy of polyester/cotton blend ratio. A self-developed microscope image capturing system is established to digitalise the cross-sectional images of polyester/cotton blended yarn. One set of image preprocessing algorithm is developed to conduct greyscale inversion, median filtering denoising and binarisation. The specially designed edge detection algorithm is used to identify the continuous profile of fibres. Finally, the roundness value of the cross-sectional fibre is calculated based on the proposed roundness algorithm, it can be used to identify the polyester/cotton fibres and calculate the blending ratio of them. Our experimental results show that the new digital analysis method proposed in this paper is feasible for the measurement of polyester/cotton blended ratio; therefore, it has a good application prospect in the field of textile quality control, including the development of new equipment, methods and standards.

8.
Oncogene ; 36(36): 5087-5097, 2017 09 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28481866

ABSTRACT

MYC activation at modest levels has been frequently found in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its significance in hepatocarcinogenesis has remained obscure. Here we examined the role of Myc activation in mouse liver tumours induced by hepatocytic expression of myristoylated AKT (AKT) and/or mutant HRASV12 (HRAS) via transposon-mediated gene integration. AKT or HRAS alone required 5 months to induce liver tumours, whereas their combination generated hepatocellular carcinoma within 8 weeks. Co-introduction of AKT and HRAS induced lipid-laden preneoplastic cells that grew into nodules composed of tumour cells with or without intracytoplasmic lipid, with the latter being more proliferative and associated with spontaneous Myc expression. AKT/HRAS-induced tumorigenesis was almost completely abolished when MadMyc, a competitive Myc inhibitor, was expressed simultaneously. The Tet-On induction of MadMyc in preneoplastic cells significantly inhibited the progression of AKT/HRAS-induced tumours; its induction in transformed cells suppressed their proliferative activity with alterations in lipid metabolism and protein translation. Transposon-mediated Myc overexpression facilitated tumorigenesis by AKT or HRAS, and when it was co-introduced with AKT and HRAS, diffusely infiltrating tumours without lipid accumulation developed as early as 2 weeks. Examination of the dose-responses of Myc in the enhancement of AKT/HRAS-induced tumorigenesis revealed that a reduction to one-third retained enhancing effect but three-times greater introduction damped the process with increased apoptosis. Myc overexpression suppressed the mRNA expression of proteins involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, and when combined with HRAS introduction, it also suppressed the mRNA expression of proteins involved in their degradation. Finally, the MYC-positive human hepatocellular carcinoma was characterized by the cytoplasm devoid of lipid accumulation, prominent nucleoli and a higher proliferative activity. Our results demonstrate that in hepatocarcinogenesis induced by both activated AKT and HRAS, activation of endogenous Myc is an enhancing factor and adequate levels of Myc deregulation further facilitate the process with alterations in cellular metabolism.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/pathology , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/metabolism , Animals , Apoptosis , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism , Cell Proliferation , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/genetics , Liver Neoplasms/metabolism , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics , Retrospective Studies , Signal Transduction , Tumor Cells, Cultured
9.
Clin Genet ; 91(4): 623-628, 2017 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27701732

ABSTRACT

Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome (TBRS) was recently described in 13 isolated cases with de novo mutations in the DNMT3A gene. This autosomal dominant condition is characterized by tall stature, intellectual disability and a distinctive facial appearance. Here, we report six cases of inherited TBRS caused by novel DNMT3A germline mutations. The affected individuals belong to two sib-ships: four from an Old Order Amish family in America and two from a French Canadian family in Canada. All of them presented with characteristic features of TBRS, including dysmorphic facial features, increased height, intellectual disability, and variable additional features. We performed clinical exome sequencing and identified two mutations in the DNMT3A gene, a c.2312G>A (p.Arg771Gln) missense mutation in the Amish family and a c.2296_2297delAA (p.Lys766Glufs*15) small deletion in the French Canadian family. Parental DNA analysis by Sanger sequencing revealed that the Amish mutation was inherited from the healthy mosaic father. This study reflects the first cases with inherited TBRS and expands the phenotypic spectrum of TBRS.


Subject(s)
DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/genetics , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Germ-Line Mutation/genetics , Intellectual Disability/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Canada , Child , DNA Methyltransferase 3A , Exome/genetics , Facies , Female , Heterozygote , Humans , Intellectual Disability/physiopathology , Male , Middle Aged , Pedigree , Sequence Analysis, DNA
10.
Sci Rep ; 6: 21494, 2016 Feb 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26892901

ABSTRACT

Here, we compared the effects of bipolar and monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (B-TURP, M-TURP) for treating elderly patients (≥75 years) with benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) who had internal comorbidities. Eligible BPH patients were aged ≥75 years and had at least one internal comorbidity. In this open-label, prospective trial, patients were assigned to B-TURP (n = 75) and M-TURP (n = 88) groups. Data on prostate volume (PV), urination, and time during perioperative period were compared; data associated with urination and complications at one year postoperatively were also compared. Finally, follow-up data were available for 68 and 81 patients in the B-TURP and M-TURP group, respectively. No deaths were recorded. Intraoperative bleeding was lower and irrigation time, indwelling catheter time, and hospital stay were shorter in the B-TURP group than in the M-TURP group (p < 0.001). No difference was observed with respect to operation time (p = 0.058). At one year after the operation, differences with respect to urination and complications were not significant. In conclusion, Short-term efficacy of B-TURP or M-TURP was satisfactory for elderly patients with BPH who had internal comorbidities. Besides, B-TURP is a more sensible choice because it has a lower prevalence of adverse effects.


Subject(s)
Prostatic Hyperplasia/surgery , Transurethral Resection of Prostate/methods , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Comorbidity , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Postoperative Complications , Prostatic Hyperplasia/diagnosis , Transurethral Resection of Prostate/adverse effects , Treatment Outcome
11.
Clin Genet ; 89(5): 625-9, 2016 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26649472

ABSTRACT

Ganglioside GM3 synthase is a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of gangliosides. GM3 synthase deficiency (GSD) causes a complete absence of GM3 and all downstream biosynthetic derivatives. The individuals affected by this disorder manifest severe irritability, intractable seizures and profound intellectual disability. However, we have found that most newborns seem symptom-free for a period of time after birth. In order to further understand the onset of the disease, we investigated the early growth and development of patients with this condition through this study. We compared 37 affected individuals with their normal siblings and revealed that all children with GSD had relatively normal intrauterine growth and development, as their weight, length and head circumference were similar to their normal siblings at birth. However, the disease progresses quickly after birth and causes significant constitutional impairments of growth and development by 6 months of age. Neither breastfeeding nor gastrostomy tube placement made significant difference on growth and development as all groups of patients showed the similar pattern. We conclude that GSD causes significant postnatal growth and developmental impairments and the amount of gangliosides in breast milk and general nutritional intervention do not seem to alter these outcomes.


Subject(s)
Epilepsy/genetics , Fetal Development/genetics , G(M3) Ganglioside/metabolism , Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics , Sialyltransferases/deficiency , Adolescent , Birth Weight/genetics , Body Weight/genetics , Child , Child, Preschool , DNA Mutational Analysis , Disease Progression , Epilepsy/pathology , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Mutation , Sialyltransferases/genetics , Siblings
12.
Cancer Gene Ther ; 21(4): 150-7, 2014 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24722356

ABSTRACT

37-kDa laminin receptor precursor (37LRP) has a crucial role in migration of some human cancers. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has received much attention in invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. Nevertheless, the role of 37LRP is not entirely clear in EMT promotion of lung cancer at present. In this study, we firstly examined the possible role of 37LRP in the invasiveness and metastasis process of lung cancer using immunohistochemistry of 80 lung adenocarcinoma cases, western blot and real-time PCR of 12 fresh lung adenocarcinoma tissues. The results showed that 37LRP significantly correlated with clinical stage and were highly expressed in metastatic lung adenocarcinomas compared with nonmetastatic ones. In vitro, we observed that 37LRP significantly increased the adhesive, invasive and metastatic abilities of human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines A549 by 37LRP-lentivirus interference. Furthermore, inoculation of A549 cells transduced with 37LRP-lentivirus in nude mice resulted in multi-metastases including the lung. In addition, western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the significant difference in expression of E-cadherin and fibronectin in A549 by 37LRP-lentivirus interference compared with 37LRP-small interference RNA-lentivirus interference in vitro and vivo. The data indicated that A549 cells of epithelial cell characteristics might be induced to undergo EMT by 37LRP. A549 cells transduced with 37LRP-lentivirus showed marked morphological changes, accompanied by the decrease of epithelial marker E-cadherin and the increase of mesenchymal marker fibronectin. These results indicated that 37LRP may promote lung adenocarcinoma invasion and metastasis via the mechanism of EMT.


Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/metabolism , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Cell Movement/physiology , Lung Neoplasms/metabolism , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Receptors, Laminin/biosynthesis , Adenocarcinoma/genetics , Adenocarcinoma of Lung , Animals , Cell Growth Processes/physiology , Cell Line, Tumor , Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/physiology , Female , Humans , Lentivirus/genetics , Lung Neoplasms/genetics , Mice , Mice, Nude , Neoplasm Metastasis , RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis , RNA, Messenger/genetics , Receptors, Laminin/genetics , Transfection
13.
Mol Biol Rep ; 41(2): 721-31, 2014 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24368591

ABSTRACT

Body weight and length are economical important traits in aquaculture species influenced by quantitative trait loci (QTL) and environmental factors. In this study, a backcross (BC1) common carp family, with 86 progeny, was utilized to construct genetic map for preliminary QTL mapping. The genetic map was constructed with 366 markers, including 191 SNP from gene, coverage 50 linkage groups with an average marker distance of 18.5 cM. A total of fourteen QTLs associated with body weight (BW), body length (BL) and condition factor (K) were detected on ten linkage groups (LGs). Among these QTLs detected, three (qBW8, qBL8 and qK8) were associated with BW, BL and K respectively, were mapped on LG8. qBW8 and qK8 were identified on similar interval neared locus HLJ2394 explained 14.9 and 20.9 % of the phenotype variance, while qBL8 was identified on separate nearby locus HLJ571 with 30.8 % of phenotype variance. Two QTLs, qBW13 and qK13, related with BW and K separately, were found on LG13 at different locus with phenotype variance of 25.3 and 20.9 %. Other two QTLs, qBW19 and qBL19, associated to BW and BL were mapped on same region near SNP0626 on LG19, and explained 10.3 and 15.6 % of phenotype variance. While other seven QTLs related with BW and BL were located on different LGs. Confidential interval was ranged from 1.1 to 10 cM in the present study. These markers, with lower QTL interval, have great influence on the body weight and length. Therefore, these QTLs will be helpful to find out the genes related with specific trait.


Subject(s)
Body Size/genetics , Body Weight/genetics , Chromosome Mapping , Quantitative Trait Loci/genetics , Animals , Carps/genetics , Genetic Linkage , Microsatellite Repeats/genetics , Phenotype , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
14.
Diabetes Metab Res Rev ; 29(8): 664-72, 2013 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23955995

ABSTRACT

AIM: Studies with metformin suggest a favourable change in ß-cell function over sulphonylureas in the early course of obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but it remains unclear whether a similar effect is observed in non-obese individuals. Here we investigated the effects of metformin or glipizide gastrointestinal therapeutics system extended-release formulation (GITS) on ß-cell function in non-obese patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. METHODS: A total of 160 newly diagnosed patients with fasting glucose 7.0-13.0 mmol/L and body mass index <30 kg/m(2) from five centres in China were randomized to metformin or glipizide GITS for 24 weeks. Early insulin secretion [the ratio of area under the curve (AUC) of insulin to glucose during 0-30 min (InsAUC30 /GluAUC30 )] and insulin sensitivity [Matsuda index (ISIM )] were assessed during the standard meal tolerance test before and after therapy. Plasma glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) and glucagon levels were also measured. RESULTS: Metformin improved InsAUC30 /GluAUC30 significantly (from 8.1 ± 0.6 pmol/mmol to 10.7 ± 0.7 pmol/mmol, p < 0.05), comparable to results with glipizide GITS. In the metformin-treated lean (body mass index < 25 kg/m(2) ) subgroup, the increase in ISIM was not significant, but the improvement in InsAUC30 /GluAUC30 was of great magnitude. Increased GLP-1 responses during meal tolerance test and decreased fasting glucagon level were observed after metformin treatment. Correlation analysis showed that the improvement of InsAUC30 /GluAUC30 was associated with the changes in HbA1c (r = -0.374, p = 0.000), ISIM (r = 0.356, p = 0.001), and ΔGLP-10-30 (r = 0.225, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Metformin improved ß-cell function in non-obese subjects with newly diagnosed T2DM, which was partly independent of the change in insulin sensitivity in these subjects. This study provides evidence-based data to support metformin use in non-obese patients with T2DM as the first-line agent, which can improve both insulin sensitivity and ß-cell function.


Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Insulin-Secreting Cells/drug effects , Metformin/therapeutic use , Adult , Aged , Area Under Curve , Delayed-Action Preparations , Female , Glipizide/therapeutic use , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Treatment Outcome
15.
Phys Rev Lett ; 110(13): 131802, 2013 Mar 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23581310

ABSTRACT

The beauty to up quark coupling constant |V(ub)| can be extracted from B → ρ e+ ν(e) combined with the form factors for D → K* e+ ν(e) and B → V ℓ+ ℓ- and D → ρ e+ ν(e). Using the entire CLEO-c ψ(3770) → DD event sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 818 pb(-1) and approximately 5.4×10(6) DD events, we measure the form factors for the decays D0 → ρ- e+ ν(e) and D+ → ρ0 e+ ν(e) for the first time and the branching fractions with improved precision. A four-dimensional unbinned maximum likelihood fit determines the form factor ratios to be V(0)/A1(0)=1.48±0.15±0.05 and A2(0)/A1(0)=0.83±0.11±0.04. Assuming Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity, the known D meson lifetimes, and our measured branching fractions we obtain the form factor normalizations A1(0), A2(0), and V(0). We also present a measurement of the branching fraction for D+ → ω e+ ν(e) with improved precision.

16.
Mol Syndromol ; 3(6): 288-90, 2013 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23599700

ABSTRACT

Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by progressive multisystem degeneration and segmental premature aging. Mutations in the DNA repair gene ERCC6 are responsible for the majority of CS cases reported. In this study, we identified 4 patients presenting with CS from 2 Old Order Amish families. Sequence analysis of the ERCC6 gene revealed 2 novel mutations associated with the disorder in these patients. The patients from family 1 were homozygous for a splice-site mutation, c.2709 + 1G>T, in intron 14 of ERCC6, whereas the patients from family 2 were compound heterozygous for c.2709 + 1G>T and a short deletion in exon 5 (c.1293_1320del). Our findings provide evidence of allelic heterogeneity in Old Order Amish, which is extremely uncommon for a rare condition in an isolated founder population.

17.
Oral Dis ; 19(4): 401-5, 2013 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23034082

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the oral microbial diversity of healthy Chinese Han children. METHODS: Dental plaques were sampled from the oral cavity of ten healthy Chinese Han children. The oral microbiome was examined using the 16S rRNA-based Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray. The microbial diversity and similarity were analyzed using the Chao-Jaccard similarity index. RESULTS: A total of 112 species, which belonged to nine bacterial phyla and 41 genera, were detected. Each individual harbored an average of 54.1 microbial species (ranging from 37 to 69) and 26.2 genera (ranging from 21 to 31), with interindividual variations both at the species and genus level. Thirteen genera were conserved among all individuals. The Chao-Jaccard similarity index averages, at the genus and species level, were 0.642 (ranging from 0.485 to 0.871) and 0.506 (ranging from 0.338 to 0.676), respectively, suggesting that the healthy oral community was more conserved at the genus level than at the species level. CONCLUSION: Although there was interindividual variation in the oral microflora, some bacterial genera were conserved among individuals, supporting the existence of a core microbiome in the oral cavity of healthy Chinese Han children.


Subject(s)
Biodiversity , Dental Plaque/microbiology , Mouth/microbiology , Child , China , Conserved Sequence , DNA, Bacterial/analysis , Female , Humans , Male , Microbiota , Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis , Sequence Analysis, DNA
18.
Oral Dis ; 18(6): 595-601, 2012 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22458262

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the bacterial profiles in saliva of the isolated children for studying caries etiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples were collected from isolated children from 6 to 8years old including 20 caries-free (dmfs=0) (healthy) and 30 caries-active individuals (dmfs>8) (patients). 16S rRNA genes were amplified by PCR from bacterial DNA of saliva sample and labeled via incorporation of Cy3-dCTP in second nested PCR. After hybridization of labeled amplicons on HOMIM, the microarray slides were scanned and original data acquired from professional software. RESULTS: Collectively, 94 bacterial species or clusters representing six bacterial phyla and 30 genera were detected. A higher bacterial diversity was observed in patients than in healthy samples. Statistical analyses revealed eight species or clusters were detected more frequently in diseased patients than in healthy samples, while six different species were detected more frequently in healthy as compared to diseased patients. CONCLUSION: The diversity of microbe within saliva derived from isolated population increased in caries-active status, and there are some bacteria in salivary flora can be as candidate biomarkers for caries prognosis in mixed dentition. The imbalances in the resident microflora may be the ultimate mechanism of dental caries.


Subject(s)
Bacteria/classification , Dental Caries/microbiology , Dentition, Mixed , Saliva/microbiology , Actinomycetaceae/classification , Bacteroides/classification , Bacteroidetes/classification , Biomarkers/analysis , Campylobacter/classification , Capnocytophaga/classification , Child , DMF Index , DNA, Bacterial/analysis , Gemella/classification , Humans , Leptotrichia/classification , Metagenome , Nucleic Acid Hybridization , Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis , Peptostreptococcus/classification , Phylogeny , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Proteobacteria/classification , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/analysis , Selenomonas/classification , Streptococcus/classification
19.
Biotech Histochem ; 87(2): 140-7, 2012 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21539502

ABSTRACT

Intrathymic injection is a common technique used for research concerning immunotolerance induction, gene therapy and T cell development in mice. Traditionally used protocols involve major surgery that exposes the thoracic cavity, which results in injury to the mice and increased risk of poor recovery and postsurgical complications such as infection. We introduce a simplified intrathymic injection technique that does not expose the thoracic cavity and virtually eliminates pain, distress and postoperative complications while maintaining high injection efficiency. The technique is suitable for both adult and neonatal mice.


Subject(s)
Injections/methods , Thymus Gland/anatomy & histology , Animals , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Needles , Syringes
20.
Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech ; 21(5): e260-2, 2011 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22002290

ABSTRACT

AIMS: Single-incision laparoscopic procedures are reported to be accessible comprehensively for abdominal surgeries. Herein, we report 1 case of partial hepatectomy in which the single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) technique or the laparoendoscopic single-site surgery was conducted. CASE: One 53-year-old woman diagnosed with hepatic multicystis (the largest one had a diameter of 5 cm) underwent single-incision laparoscopic partial hepatectomy on January 1, 2010. RESULTS: The entire procedure was completed in 105 minutes without any complications. The patient went out of bed for mobilization 8 hours after surgery and was discharged on the fifth postoperative day. CONCLUSION: Single-incision laparoscopic procedures are available for many abdominal surgeries, whereas trials reported to perform partial hepatectomy using SILS are fewer. Therefore, our success in the case of partial hepatectomy by SILS provides another optional approach to liver surgeries.


Subject(s)
Cysts/surgery , Hepatectomy/methods , Laparoscopy/methods , Liver Diseases/surgery , Cysts/diagnosis , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Liver Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Middle Aged , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Ultrasonography
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