What about electrochemical behaviors for aurivillius-phase bismuth tungstate? Capacitive or pseudocapacitive.

Researchers mainly explore the mechanism of pseudocapacitance through studying electrode materials with Faraday pseudocapacitive behavior. Here, we found that Bi2WO6, a typical Aurivillius phase material with pseudo-perovskite structure, showed nearly ideal pseudocapacitive behavior. The cyclic voltammetry curve is approximately rectangular in shape, with no redox peaks, which is similar to that of carbon materials. And the shape of the galvanostatic charge-discharge curve is close to an isosceles triangle. In addition, the kinetic analysis demonstrated that the electrochemical process of the A-Bi2WO6 electrode is dominated by surface processes, not diffusion. The A-Bi2WO6 electrode material presents a great volumetric specific capacitance of 466.5 F cm-3 at 0.5 A g-1. These electrochemical properties confirm that the Bi2WO6 material can serve as an ideal support material to explore pseudocapacitive energy storage. This work also provides guidance for the development of new pseudocapacitive materials.

Graphene Oxide/Styrene-Butadiene Latex Hybrid Aerogel with Improved Mechanical Properties by PEI Grafted GO and CNT.

Graphene oxide aerogel (GOA) has wide application prospects due to its low density and high porosity. However, the poor mechanical properties and unstable structure of GOA have limited its practical applications. In this study, polyethyleneimide (PEI) was used to graft onto the surface of GO and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to improve compatibility with polymers. Composite GOA was prepared by adding styrene-butadiene latex (SBL) to the modified GO and CNTs. The synergistic effect of PEI and SBL, resulted in an aerogel with excellent mechanical properties, compressive resistance, and structural stability. When the ratio of SBL to GO and GO to CNTs was 2:1 and 7:3, respectively, the obtained aerogel performance was the best, and the maximum compressive stress was 784.35% higher than that of GOA. The graft of PEI on the surface of GO and CNT could improve the mechanical properties of the aerogel, with greater improvements observed with grafting onto the surface of GO. Compared with GO/CNT/SBL aerogel without PEI grafting, the maximum stress of GO/CNT-PEI/SBL aerogel increased by 5.57%, that of GO-PEI/CNT/SBL aerogel increased by 20.25%, and that of GO-PEI/CNT-PEI/SBL aerogel increased by 28.99%. This work not only provided a possibility for the practical application of aerogel, but also steered the research of GOA in a new direction.

Electrode Materials of Cobaltous Fluoride for Supercapacitor and Electrocatalysis Applications.

Herein, CoF2 was synthesized by a solvothermal method. The characterization results of the phase and morphology of the sample show that it was successfully synthesized and its morphology is composed of micron particles with uneven size and shape. The electrochemical test results of SCs in different electrolytes show that CoF2 has electrochemical activity only in alkaline electrolytes. Notably, the electrochemical behavior of CoF2 in LiOH solution is different from that in other alkaline solutions in that charge-discharge curve has a quasi-isosceles triangle shape and the CV curve has no obvious redox peak. That is, it has pseudocapacitance behavior in LiOH. Furthermore, CoF2 as catalyst for HER requires an overpotential of only 168 mV to obtain current density of 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 116 mV dec-1 in 1 M KOH solution. This research provides a novel way to explore excellent performance electrode materials for SC and HER.

Retrieval of Suspended Sediment Concentration from Bathymetric Bias of Airborne LiDAR.

In addition to depth measurements, airborne LiDAR bathymetry (ALB) has shown usefulness in suspended sediment concentration (SSC) inversion. However, SSC retrieval using ALB based on waveform decomposition or near-water-surface penetration by green lasers requires access to full-waveform data or infrared laser data, which are not always available for users. Thus, in this study we propose a new SSC inversion method based on the depth bias of ALB. Artificial neural networks were used to build an empirical inversion model by connecting the depth bias and SSC. The proposed method was verified using an ALB dataset collected through Optech coastal zone mapping and imaging LiDAR systems. The results showed that the mean square error of the predicted SSC based on the empirical model of ALB depth bias was less than 2.564 mg/L in the experimental area. The proposed method was compared with the waveform decomposition and regression methods. The advantages and limits of the proposed method were analyzed and summarized. The proposed method can effectively retrieve SSC and only requires ALB-derived and sonar-derived water bottom points, eliminating the dependence on the use of green full-waveforms and infrared lasers. This study provides an alternative means of conducting SSC inversion using ALB.

MiR-204-5p Alleviates Neuropathic Pain by Targeting BRD4 in a Rat Chronic Constrictive Injury Model.

Purpose: The pathogenesis of neuropathic pain is complex, and previous studies have found that microRNAs are important regulators of neuropathic pain and are associated with the progression of neuropathic pain. This study aims to explore the level and role of miR-204-5p in the chronic constrictive injury (CCI) model of rats. Patients and Methods: The CCI rat model was constructed to evaluate paw withdrawal threshold (PWT), paw withdrawal latency (PWL), the expressions of miR-204-5p, and the contents of inflammatory factors in the model. Overexpression of miR-204-5p in rat spinal cord was induced by intrathecal injection of miR-204-5p mimics. PWT and PWL were used to estimate mechanical and thermal pain thresholds. IL-6 and TNF-α were determined by ELISA. Luciferase reporter gene was conducted to verify the targeting relationship between miR-204-5p and BRD4. Results: miR-204-5p was abnormally down-regulated in the CCI group. The thresholds of mechanical and thermal pain stimulation in the CCI group were lower, and the levels of inflammatory factors were higher than those in the sham group. Overexpression of miR-204-5p alleviated PWT, PWL and inflammatory factors. Besides, the luciferase reporter gene showed that BRD4 was a target gene of miR-204-5p. Conclusion: These results suggested that miR-204-5p may alleviate neuropathic pain and inflammation through targeted regulation of BRD4 expression.

Enhancing the Kinetic Process in Biphasic Crystalline NiWO4 /Amorphous Co-B Electrode Materials toward Energy Storage with Ultrahigh Rate Performance.

Here, we report a two-phase crystalline NiWO4 /amorphous Co-B nanocomposite as an electrode material for supercapacitors, which is effectively synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method and chemical precipitation method. The obtained NiWO4 /Co-B exhibits crystal-amorphous contact, which makes it have more active sites than other crystalline-crystalline phase boundaries, thereby enhancing electron transport. The NiWO4 /Co-B electrode with the best mass ratio of crystalline and amorphous exhibits a great specific capacitance and excellent cycle durability. Compared to individual Co-B and NiWO4 , it also shows enhanced rate capability Besides, NiWO4 /Co-B/activated carbon supercapacitor device can provide a good specific capacitance and a maximum energy density of 10.92 Wh kg-1 at 200 W kg-1 . This work provides new insights to develop novel electrode materials for energy storage and conversion.

Modification of ultra-micropore dominated carbon by O/N-containing functional groups grafted for enhanced supercapacitor performances.

In our study, a simple method was employed to prepare ultra-micropore-dominated carbon materials with controllable pore size. A mass of heteroatoms was introduced by surface functional group grafting, resulting in enhanced electrochemical performance: the maximum specific capacity of 327.5 F g-1 was obtained at 0.5 A g-1 in 6 M KOH, while that of un-grafted original ultra-microporous carbon was only 188 F g-1, with long-term cycle stability (90.5% of the initial after 10 000 cycles), and excellent rate performance (over 82% at the current density from 0.5 A g-1 to 10 A g-1). The mechanism behind the improved performance was due to the presence of the introduced functional groups that improved the surface wettability of the material and provided additional redox active sites. Their synergistic effects promoted the enhanced electrochemical performance of the ultra-microporous carbon. This study provides a basis for the study of the energy storage mechanism of ultra-microporous carbon and the grafted modification of carbon materials with heteroatom-containing functional groups.

Extensive Metabolite Profiling in the Unexploited Organs of Black Tiger for Their Potential Valorization in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Black tiger (Kadsura coccinea (Lem.)) has been reported to hold enormous pharmaceutical potential. The fruit and rhizome of black tiger are highly exploited in the pharmaceutical and other industries. However, the most important organs from the plant such as the leaf and stem are considered biowastes mainly because a comprehensive metabolite profile has not been reported in these organs. Knowledge of the metabolic landscape of the unexploited black tiger organs could help identify and isolate important compounds with pharmaceutical and nutritional values for a better valorization of the species. In this study, we used a widely targeted metabolomics approach to profile the metabolomes of the K. coccinea leaf (KL) and stem (KS) and compared them with the root (KR). We identified 642, 650 and 619 diverse metabolites in KL, KS and KR, respectively. A total of 555 metabolites were mutually detected among the three organs, indicating that the leaf and stem organs may also hold potential for medicinal, nutritional and industrial applications. Most of the differentially accumulated metabolites between organs were enriched in flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, tyrosine metabolism and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathways. In addition, several important organ-specific metabolites were detected in K. coccinea. In conclusion, we provide extensive metabolic information to stimulate black tiger leaf and stem valorization in human healthcare and food.

Realizing high-performance and low-cost lithium-ion capacitor by regulating kinetic matching between ternary nickel cobalt phosphate microspheres anode with ultralong-life and super-rate performance and watermelon peel biomass-derived carbon cathode.

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are emerging as one of the most advanced energy storage devices by combining the virtues of both supercapacitors (SCs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the kinetic and capacity mismatch between anode and cathode is the main obstacle to wide applications of LICs. Therefore, the effective strategy of constructing a high-performance LIC is to improve the rate and cycle performance of the anode and the specific capacity of the cathode. Herein, the nickel cobalt phosphate (NiCoP) microspheres anode is demonstrated with robust structural integrity, high electrical conductivity, and fast kinetic feature. Simultaneously, the watermelon-peel biomass-derived carbon (WPBC) cathode is demonstrated a sustainable synthesis strategy with high specific capacity. As expected, the NiCoP exhibits high specific capacities (567 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1), superior rate performance (300 mAh g-1 at 1A g-1), and excellent cycle stability (58 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 after 15,000 cycles). The WPBC possesses a high specific surface area (SSA) of 3303.6 m2 g-1 and a high specific capacity of 226 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1. Encouragingly, the NiCoP//WPBC-6 LIC device can deliver high energy density (ED) of 127.4 ± 3.3 and 67 ± 3.8Wh kg-1 at power density (PD) of 190 and 18240 W kg-1 (76.4% capacity retention after 7000 cycles), respectively.

Crystal Phase-Controlled Synthesis of the CoP@Co2P Heterostructure with 3D Nanowire Networks for High-Performance Li-Ion Capacitor Applications.

The paramount focus in the construction of lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) is the development of anode materials with high reversible capacity and fast kinetics to overcome the mismatch of kinetics and capacity between the anode and cathode. Herein, a strategy is presented for the controllable synthesis of cobalt-based phosphides with various morphologies by adjusting the time of the phosphidation process, including 3D hierarchical needle-stacked diabolo-shaped CoP nanorods, 3D hierarchical stick-stacked diabolo-shaped Co2P nanorods, and 3D hierarchical heterostructure CoP@Co2P nanorods. 3D hierarchical nanostructures and a highly conductive project to accommodate volume changes are rational designs to achieve a robust construction, effective electron-ion transportation, and rapid kinetics characteristics, thus leading to excellent cycling stability and rate performance. Owing to these merits, the 3D hierarchical CoP, Co2P, and CoP@Co2P nanorods demonstrate prominent specific capacities of 573, 609, and 621 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 over 300 cycles, respectively. In addition, a high-performance CoP@Co2P//AC LIC is successfully constructed, which can achieve high energy densities of 166.2 and 36 W h kg-1 at power densities of 175 and 17524 W kg-1 (83.7% capacity retention after 12000 cycles). Therefore, the controllable synthesis of various simultaneously constructed crystalline phases and morphologies can be used to fabricate other advanced energy storage devices.

CTRP3 Activates the AMPK/SIRT1-PGC-1α Pathway to Protect Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Functions in Cerebral Ischemic Stroke.

C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-3 (CTRP3) had shown its angiogenesis and enhancement of mitochondrial biogenesis properties in the treatment of myocardial infarction, but its potential roles in cerebral ischemic stroke had not been fully understood. This study aimed to clarify the underlying mechanism of how CTRP3 regulated mitochondrial functions in hippocampal neuronal cells (HPPNCs) after oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)/reoxygenation (R) treatment. Results showed that impeded CTRP3 expression and weakened viability were detected in OGD/R treated HPPNCs. CTRP3 showed its ability to enhance the viability and inhibited apoptosis of HPPNCs after OGD/R treatment and it could also promote the mitochondrial biogenesis and physiological functions. Silencing of PGC-1α partially abolished the protective function of CTRP3 on mitochondria and CTRP3 mediated the expression of PGC-1α via the AMPK/SIRT1-PGC-1α pathway. These findings provided information that CTRP3 prevented mitochondria from OGD/R injury through activating the AMPK/SIRT1-PGC-1α pathway. Our study suggested that CTRP3 might have the potential to become an emerging protective agent applied in the reperfusion treatment of ischemic stroke.

Suppression of CLC-3 reduces the proliferation, invasion and migration of colorectal cancer through Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

PURPOSE: In the present study, we attempted to explore the role of chloride channel 3 (CLC-3) in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its related mechanism. METHODS: First, the expression level of CLC-3 in CRC tumor tissues and cell lines were measured by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry or western blot analysis. CLC-3 expression knockdown in CRC cells was achieved by siRNA transfection. The effect of CLC-3 silence on cell viability, cell cycle, invasion and migration of CRC was estimated by CCK8, flow cytometry based cell cycle assay, and transwell assay, respectively. In order to investigate whether Wnt/ß-catenin signaling was perturbed by CLC-3 knockdown, CLC-3 knockdown cells were treated with pathway activator LiCl, followed by the measurement of the expressions of pathway related genes, cell viability, cell cycle, metastasis ability. RESULTS: The expression of CLC-3 was gradually increased from normal adjacent tissues to CRC tumor tissues, and the increase in tumor tissues was related to TNM stages. CLC-3 was overexpressed in four CRC cell lines (HCT116, SW480, LoVo and SW620), compared with NCM460 cells. CLC-3 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation, invasion and migration ability, reflected by declined cell viability, arrested G0/G1 cell cycle, decreased invasion and migration ability. In contrast, the declined cell proliferation, invasion and migration of LoVo and SW620 cells induced by CLC-3 knockdown were reversed by the addition of Wnt/ß-catenin activator LiCl. CONCLUSION: CLC-3 contributed to the CRC development and metastasis through Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. CLC-3 could be proposed as the candidate target for CRC treatment.

Boosting the performance of cobalt molybdate nanorods by introducing nanoflake-like cobalt boride to form a heterostructure for aqueous hybrid supercapacitors.

Binary transition metal oxides have received extensive attention because of their multiple oxidation states. However, due to the inherent vices of poor electronic/ionic conductivities, their practical performance as supercapacitor material is limited. Herein, a cobalt molybdate/cobalt boride (CoMoO4/Co-B) composite is constructed with cobalt boride nanoflake-like as a conductive additive in CoMoO4 nanorods using a facile water bath deposition process and liquid-phase reduction method. The effects of CoMoO4/Co-B mass ratios on its electrochemical performance are investigated. Remarkably, the CoMoO4/Co-B composite obtained at a mass ratio of 2:1 shows highly enhanced electrochemical performance relative to those obtained at other ratios and exhibits an optimum specific capacity of 436 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1. This kind of composite could also display great rate capacity (294 F g-1 at 10 A g-1) and outstanding long cycle performance (90.5% capacitance retention over 10 000 cycles at 5 A g-1). Also, the asymmetric supercapacitor device is prepared by using CoMoO4/Co-B composite as the anode with the active carbon as the cathode. Such a device demonstrates an outstanding energy density of 23.18 Wh kg-1 and superior long-term stability with 100% initial specific capacity retained after 10,000 cycles. The superior electrochemical properties show that the CoMoO4/Co-B electrode material has tremendous potential in energy storage equipment applications.

Impact of nitrate contamination on the analysis of carbon and oxygen isotopes in carbonate and a low-temperature phosphoric acid digestion approach for online sample preparation.

RATIONALE: High-temperature phosphoric acid digestion combined with continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF-IRMS) is one of the standard methods for the determination of carbon and oxygen isotopes in carbonate. However, the routine purification protocol has not been tested by samples with nitrate contamination. Here we show that the standard protocol is not capable of measuring such samples with satisfactory accuracy and precision. METHODS: We tested the low-temperature (25°C) phosphoric acid digestion method combined with CF-IRMS for the measurement of natural carbonate samples with ~1% nitrate concentration and nitrate-doped carbonate standards. We also recorded the Raman spectra of the gases extracted from the nitrate-doped carbonate standards to identify the gas species that affect the results. RESULTS: The accuracy and precision of δ18 O values for nitrate-doped carbonate standards digested at 72°C are much poorer than routine measurements. For the measurements of doped standards reacted at 25°C, the accuracy and precision of the δ13 C and δ18 O values are indistinguishable from normal results. Raman spectra demonstrate that NO2 generated from high-temperature digestion is the possible interference species for oxygen isotope measurement. CONCLUSIONS: Low-temperature digestion is a reliable method for the measurement of carbon and oxygen isotopes in nitrate-contaminated carbonate samples because the formation of NO2 can be largely reduced. This approach can be applied to some nitrate-rich speleothems, evaporites and other samples with nitrate contamination.

Dihydroartemisinin sensitizes Lewis lung carcinoma cells to carboplatin therapy via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation.

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Artemisia annua, is an effective novel antimalarial agent. Studies have suggested that it also exhibits anticancer effects when administered alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic agents. The present study investigated the therapeutic effect of DHA combined with carboplatin (CBP) on Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells and the possible underlying molecular mechanisms. MTT and clonogenic assays demonstrated that the proliferation activity of LLC cells was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by DHA combined with CBP. In addition, flow cytometry analysis revealed that cell cycle arrest was induced at the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis was induced following treatment with the combination. When administered in combination with CBP, DHA exhibited more effective anticancer activity compared with DHA or CBP used alone, via increased apoptosis. Following treatment with DHA with or without CBP, the expression of phosphorylated-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which can be inhibited with the selective inhibitor SB202190, was detected by western blotting. To summarize, the results of the present study indicated that DHA may sensitize LLC cells to CBP therapy via the activation of p38MAPK, which suggests that a combined treatment of DHA and CBP may be a potential novel therapeutic schedule for lung adenocarcinoma.

A Randomized Multicenter Phase III Study of Single Administration of Mecapegfilgrastim (HHPG-19K), a Pegfilgrastim Biosimilar, for Prophylaxis of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia in Patients With Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).

BACKGROUND: Mecapegfilgrastim (code name HHPG-19K) is a biosimilar to pegylated recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (PEG-rhG-CSF). The efficacy and safety of mecapegfilgrastim, using a regimen of once-per-cycle injection of 100-µg/kg or a fixed 6-mg dose, were evaluated for the prophylactic therapy for neutropenia in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were treated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were randomized (1:1:1) blindly to 3 treatment arms to receive a single injection of mecapegfilgrastim 100 µg/kg, a 6-mg fixed dose of mecapegfilgrastim, or saline (control) in cycle 1. In cycles 2 to 4 following unblinding at the end of cycle 1, patients in the control arm received daily injections of short-acting rhG-CSF at a dose of 5 µg/kg, whereas patients in the 2 mecapegfilgrastim arms continued the same treatment as in cycle 1. All patients received 4 chemotherapy cycles of docetaxel combined with cisplatin or carboplatin every 21 days. The primary endpoint was the incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia in cycle 1. RESULTS: A single dose of 100 µg/kg or a fixed 6-mg dose of mecapegfilgrastim per cycle effectively reduced chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and was comparable to daily rhG-CSF with regard to all efficacy endpoints, including incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia, incidence of febrile neutropenia, duration of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia, and time to neutrophil recovery. No difference in efficacy parameters was observed between the 2-dose regimens of mecapegfilgrastim across all cycles. Mecapegfilgrastim was well-tolerated and was as safe as daily rhG-CSF. CONCLUSION: Once-per-cycle injection of mecapegfilgrastim is as effective and safe as daily rhG-CSF for prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with NSCLC. Mecapegfilgrastim (fixed 6-mg dose) is recommended in clinical practice for its convenient dose management.

A prospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral acetyl-L-carnitine for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The study was carried out as a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and paralleled clinical study. A total of 239 patients with CIPN were selected as the study subjects. Of the 239 subjects, 118 subjects received 3 g/day ALC orally for 8 weeks and 121 received a placebo. The primary endpoint was improvement of peripheral neuropathy by at least one grade. Patient status was assessed at week 4, 8 and 12 after enrollment into the study. In both the full analysis set (FAS) and the per-protocol set (PPS), peripheral sensory neuropathy was significantly ameliorated in the ALC group with 50.5 and 51.6% patients meeting the primary endpoint at week 8, compared with 24.1 and 23.1% of patients in the placebo group (P<0.001 in both sets). Secondary endpoints, such as the nerve electrophysiological examination and the Karnofsky physical score were also significantly improved in patients receiving ALC treatment, as compared with the placebo group (FAS, P=0.0463 and P=0.022; PPS, P=0.0076 and P=0.0064, respectively). Cancer-associated fatigue was significantly alleviated following ALC treatment in the PPS (P=0.0135). In the safety analysis set, the difference in adverse events incidence between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.3903). There were only two severe adverse events in the ALC group, which were not associated with the effect of ALC. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that in Chinese patients with cancer, oral administration of ALC is effective at ameliorating peripheral sensory neuropathy induced by chemotherapy, as well as reducing of cancer-associated fatigue and improving physical conditions.

Prognostic Factors and Postoperative Recurrence of Calculus Following Small-Incision Sphincterotomy with Papillary Balloon Dilation for the Treatment of Intractable Choledocholithiasis: A 72-Month Follow-Up Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the recurrence of common bile duct stones and risk factors for recurrence following routine endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) versus small-incision endoscopic sphincterotomy plus endoscopic papillary balloon dilation (EST-EPBD). METHODS: Three hundred patients who were hospitalized between June 2007 and June 2008 with common bile duct stones >10 mm in diameter were randomly assigned to the EST or EST-EPBD group. We compared the short-term (≤3 years) and long-term (>3 years) recurrence of ductal stones in the two groups over a 72-month follow-up period. Potential risk factors were evaluated using a logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 291 patients completed the study. The short-term recurrence rate in the EST group was not significantly higher than that in the EST-EPBD group (P > 0.05). The long-term recurrence rate for the EST group was significantly higher than that for the EST-EPBD group (P < 0.05). The serum level of cholesterol, body mass index, gallstones, maximum stone diameter, number of stones, and mechanical lithotripsy were risk factors for the recurrence of ductal stones. Minimal size of the duodenal papilla incision was a protective factor with regard to the recurrence of ductal stones. Cholecystectomy, sex, and age were not associated with the recurrence of ductal stones. CONCLUSIONS: Small-incision EST-EPBD has a similar overall success rate and a significantly lower rate of the recurrence of ductal stones, compared with those of EST alone. Thus, the curative effect of EST-EPBD is better than that of EST alone. Minimal size of the duodenal papilla incision protects against the recurrence of ductal stones.

p38MAPK activation mediates tumor necrosis factor-α-induced apoptosis in glioma cells.

Gliomas are a type of heterogeneous primary central nervous system tumor, which arise from the glial cells; these types of tumor generally respond poorly to surgery, radiation and conventional chemotherapy. Tumor necrosis factor­α (TNF­α) has been suggested to produce an antitumor effect by binding to specific receptors on the tumor cell membrane to induce apoptosis. TNF­α is known to activate a number of signaling pathways, including extracellular signal­regulated protein kinase, c­Jun N­terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen­activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), nuclear factor­κB and caspase cascades, depending on the cell type. However, the involvement of p38MAPK signaling in TNF­α­induced apoptosis in glioma cells remains unclear. In the current study, the role of p38MAPK in TNF­α­induced apoptosis in rat glioma C6 cells was investigated. TNF­α was observed to induce cell apoptosis and the phosphorylation of p38MAPK in C6 cells. In addition, the inhibition of p38MAPK markedly reduced TNF­α­induced apoptosis, while JNK inhibition did not affect apoptosis. Furthermore, p38MAPK transfection altered the cell cycle of glioma cells and increased the rate of apoptosis. It also led to an increase in the level of soluble TNF­α in the culture supernatant and membrane TNF receptor I levels in tumor cells. In conclusion, the results of the current study demonstrated that the activation of p38MAPK mediates TNF­α­induced apoptosis in glioma C6 cells, suggesting p38MAPK as a potential target for glioma therapy.