OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a single outpatient dose of intravaginal misoprostol (versus intracervical dinoprostone gel) reduces the oxytocin use for induction. Despite the numerous trials examining misoprostol fo...OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a single outpatient dose of intravaginal misoprostol (versus intracervical dinoprostone gel) reduces the oxytocin use for induction. Despite the numerous trials examining misoprostol for induction, the efficacy of a single outpatient dose of misoprostol followed by oxytocin induction is unknown. METHODS: Patients with a term, vertex, singleton pregnancy and a Bishop score of 6 or less were randomly assigned to receive misoprostol (n = 42, 0.25 μg intravaginally) or dinoprostone gel (n = 42, 0.5 mg intracervically) the evening before oxytocin induction. Patients were monitored for 3 hours after administration and discharged to home if fetal assessment was reassuring, for readmission the next morning for oxytocin. Primary outcomes were oxytocin dose, time, and dose intensity (dose divided by duration). Secondary outcomes were incidence of labor, uterine hyperstimulation, cesarean delivery, Apgar score. Statistics used were χ2, Student t test, Mann-Whitney rank sum test, and Fisher exact test. P < .05 was accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS: A single dose of misoprostol significantly decreased the cumulative dose of oxytocin, the cumulative time of oxytocin administration, and the dose intensity of oxytocin (dose divided by time). Data are as follows (mean ±standard error of the mean): oxytocin dose-dinoprostone 10,929 ±219 mU, misoprostol 6,081 ±170 mU, P = .008; oxytocin timedinoprostone 798 ±11 minutes, misoprostol 531 ±11 minutes, P=.009; dose intensity-dinoprostone 11.3 ±0.1 mU/min, misoprostol 7.4 ±0.2 mU/min, P = .003. Misoprostol induced labor during the ripening period in 19 of 41 of patients, compared with 6 of 42 after dinoprostone (P = .002). There was no difference in cesarean delivery (dinoprostone, 8/42; misoprostol, 9/42; P = 1.00). There was no difference in short-term neonatal outcome. No patient had hyperstimulation or required cesarean delivery for nonreassuring fetal assessment during the ripening period. CONCLUSION: A single dose of misoprostol ad ministered in the outpatient setting significantly decreases oxytocin use, largely due to labor within the ripening period.展开更多
Aim A novel method has been developed for evaluation of the levels of total residual protein in antibiotics produced by fermentation using gel filtration chromatography (GFC) combined with Bradford assay based on dete...Aim A novel method has been developed for evaluation of the levels of total residual protein in antibiotics produced by fermentation using gel filtration chromatography (GFC) combined with Bradford assay based on determination of residual protein in lincomycin hydrochloride. Methods The chromatographic conditions were SuperdexTM peptide column, 0.01 mol*L-1 phosphate buffer solution as mobile phase, and flow rate of 1 mL·min-1. Five hundred microliters of lincomycin hydrochloride solution (3 g of lincomycin hydrochloride dissolved in 10 mL of mobile phase) was injected into the chromatograph and the eluted solution was collected between 6 min and 14.5 min (protein eluted from column within this period), and the residual content of total protein in the eluted solution was assayed using Bradford assay method. Results The average recovery was more than 90% for bovine serum albumin, the calibration equation for the range of 0-12 μg·mL-1 of protein was y=-0.002 4x2+0.064 2x+0.002 9, r2=0.999 9, RSD=0.1%-0.9%, and the LOD and LOQ were 3 and 10 ng·mL-1 of protein, respectively. Conclusion The novel method for determining the residual protein in ferment antibio-tics is simple, rapid, and precise.展开更多
Objectives.Retinoic acid (RA) has long been used, both topically and systemically, for disorders of keratinization, acne and related disorders.In the present study, the efficacy and tolerability of topical RA prepared...Objectives.Retinoic acid (RA) has long been used, both topically and systemically, for disorders of keratinization, acne and related disorders.In the present study, the efficacy and tolerability of topical RA prepared as a cyclodextrin beta complex (β-CD) is investigated in 66 acne vulgaris patients.Methods.This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study compares nightly topical application ofRA/β-CDcomplex hydrogel formulation (0.025%), RA/β-CD complex in moisturizing base (0.025%), hydrogel base, moisturizer base or a commercial RA gel (0.05%) in acne vulgaris patients.Improvement of acne was assessed using a 5-point improvement scale and by measuring sebum and moisture content of the skin using an SM 810 sebumeter/corneometer.Results.After 3 months of treatment, mean scores of acne improvement on the 5-point scale were 4 with the RA/β-CD complex hydrogel formulation, 4.1 with the RA/β-CD complex in moisturizing base, 1.2 with hydrogel placebo base, 1.1 with moisturizer placebo base and 3 with the commercial RA product.All patients treated with the commercial product experienced local side-effects.One patient discontinued due to severe irritation.None of the patients treated with the RA/β-CD complex in the moisturizing base and hydrogel formulation experienced significant local irritation, although the sebum content of the skin decreased after application of the RA/β-CD preparations.This change was not significant compared to controls.The moisture content of the skin was better preserved in the group treated with the RA/β-CD complex in the moisturizing base.Conclusion.The topical RA/β-CD complex, in hydrogel and moisturizing base, was more effective than the twice concentrated commercial RA product.There were few topical side-effects with this new formulation, which increases patient compliance.Topical RA/β-CD (0.025%RA) did not significantly reduce sebum secretion but may help to preserve optimum epidermal moisture content with the proper base formulation.This is the first study in the literature reporting efficacy and tolerability of the topical RA/β-CD complex in acne vulgaris.We conclude that the topical RA/β-CD complex displays an improved efficacy and tolerability profile and is an effective treatment alternative for acne vulgaris.展开更多
Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is a promising technique leveraging pressure-driven flow to increase penetration of infused drugs into interstitial spaces. We have developed a fiberoptic microneedle device for in...Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is a promising technique leveraging pressure-driven flow to increase penetration of infused drugs into interstitial spaces. We have developed a fiberoptic microneedle device for inducing local sub-lethal hyperthermia to further improve CED drug distribution volumes, and this study seeks to quantitatively characterize this approach in agarose tissue phantoms. Infusions of dye were conducted in 0.6% (w/w) agarose tissue phantoms with isothermal conditions at 15 ℃, 20℃, 25 ℃, and 30 ℃. Infusion metrics were quantified using a custom shadowgraphy setup and image- processing algorithm. These data were used to build an empirical predictive temporal model of distribution volume as a function of phantom temperature. A second set of proof- of-concept experiments was conducted to evaluate a novel fiberoptic device capable of generating local photothermal heating during fluid infusion. The isothermal infusions showed a positive correlation between temperature and distribution volume, with the volume at 30℃ showing a 7-fold increase at 100 min over the 15 ℃ isothermal case. Infusions during photothermal heating (1064 nm at 500 mW) showed a similar effect with a 3.5-fold increase at 4 h over the control (0 mW). These results and analyses serve to provide insight into and characterization of heat-mediated enhancement of volumetric dispersal.展开更多
The MaMV-DC cyanophage,which infects the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa,was isolated from Lake Dianchi,Kunming,China.Twenty-one cyanobacterial strains were used to detect the host range of MaMV-DC...The MaMV-DC cyanophage,which infects the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa,was isolated from Lake Dianchi,Kunming,China.Twenty-one cyanobacterial strains were used to detect the host range of MaMV-DC.Microcystic aeruginosa FACHB-524 and plaque purification were used to isolate individual cyanophages,and culturing MaMV-DC with cyanobacteria allowed us to prepare purified cyanophages for further analysis.Electron microscopy demonstrated that the negatively stained viral particles are tadpole-shaped with an icosahedral head approximately 70 nm in diameter and a contractile tail approximately 160 nm in length.Using one-step growth experiments,the latent period and burst size of MaMV-DC were estimated to be 24–48 hours and approximately 80infectious units per cell,respectively.Restriction endonuclease digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis were performed using purified MaMV-DC genomic DNA,and the genome size was estimated to be approximately 160 kb.Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE)analysis revealed four major structural proteins.These results support the growing interest in using freshwater cyanophages to control bloom-forming cyanobacterium.展开更多
Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension(IPAH) is a rare disease of unknown etiology.The exact pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension is still not well known.In the past decades,many protein molecules have ...Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension(IPAH) is a rare disease of unknown etiology.The exact pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension is still not well known.In the past decades,many protein molecules have been found to be in-volved in the development of IPAH.With proteomic techniques,profiling of human plasma proteome becomes more feasible in searching for disease-related markers.In present study,we showed the protein expression profiles of the serum of IPAH and healthy controls after depleting a few high-abundant proteins in serum.Thirteen spots had changed significantly in IPAH com-pared with healthy controls and were identified by LC-MS/MS.Alpha-1-antitrypsin and vitronectin were down-regulated in IPAH and may be valuable candidates for further explorations of their roles in the development of IPAH.展开更多
This paper deals with the method of zeolites BEA (beta) and MOR (mordenite) synthesis and the co-crystallization method of zeolites BEA/MOR. Synthesized zeolites were studied based on the SEM (scanning electron m...This paper deals with the method of zeolites BEA (beta) and MOR (mordenite) synthesis and the co-crystallization method of zeolites BEA/MOR. Synthesized zeolites were studied based on the SEM (scanning electron microscopy), XRD (x-ray diffraction) and chemical analysis. The porous structure of these zeolites was investigated by nitrogen low-temperature adsorption. It has been illustrated that regulation of the BEA/MOR co-crystalline zeolites phase composition is possible due to variations of the initial alumosilicate gels composition and hydrogen ions concentration. Zeolites containing the co-crystalline phases of BEA/MOR could to be attractive in the processes using the catalysts, which based on the pure phases BEA or MOR zeolites.展开更多
To solve the problem of difficult machining, the near-net shaped Al/SiCP composites with high volume fraction of SiC particles were fabricated by vacuum-pressure infiltration. The SiCP preform with a complex shape was...To solve the problem of difficult machining, the near-net shaped Al/SiCP composites with high volume fraction of SiC particles were fabricated by vacuum-pressure infiltration. The SiCP preform with a complex shape was prepared by gelcasting. Pure Al, Al4Mg, and Al4Mg2Si were used as the matrices, respectively. The results indicate that the optimal parameters of SiCP suspension in gelcasting process are pH value of 10, TMAH content of 0.5 wt.%, and solid loading of 52 vol.%. The Al matrix alloyed with Mg contributes to improving the interfacial wettability of the matrix and SiC particles, which increases the relative density of the composite. The Al matrix alloyed with Si is beneficial to inhibiting the formation of the detrimental Al4C3 phases. The Al4Mg2Si/SiCP composite exhibits high relative density of 99.2%, good thermal conductivity of 150 W·m^-1·K^-1, low coefficient of thermal expansion of 10.1×10^-6 K^-1, and excellent bending strength of 489 MPa.展开更多
A new composite two component grout comprised of modified urea-formaldehyde resin and cement was formulated to take account of the advantages and disadvantages of both the cement grout and the chem- ical grout. The ne...A new composite two component grout comprised of modified urea-formaldehyde resin and cement was formulated to take account of the advantages and disadvantages of both the cement grout and the chem- ical grout. The new grout is designed for water blocking by reinforcing as well as seepage control by bore grouting. The A component consists of a modified urea-formaldehyde resin A component, some cement, and some water. The B component is an alkaline coagulant. An orthogonal test of four factors at three lev- els showed that gel time increased with increased water content and with urea-formaldehyde resin con- tent. Gel time decreased at increased levels of alkaline coagulant. The A component of this new composite grout is stable over time. A mixed cross-over test showed that as the volume ratio of A to B increases the gel time falls at first but then increases. The solid strength decreases with increasing levels of the B com- ponent. The solid strength increases over time and becomes stable by the 28th day after mixing. The vis- cosity increases with increasing levels of resin A component. The increase is exponential and may be fit to: μ = 8.162e0.0286x.展开更多
Early detection of pregnancy is advantageous to breeders. However, tools that were used in the early pregnancy detection are expensive, laboratory-based and not efficient and applicable enough in the field to farmers....Early detection of pregnancy is advantageous to breeders. However, tools that were used in the early pregnancy detection are expensive, laboratory-based and not efficient and applicable enough in the field to farmers. Thus, there is a need to find a biomarker which not only can detect pregnancy but also could be applied to the livestock on the field. Proteomic approach was used in this study as to search for early pregnancy biomarker. When goat sera at day 14 of gestation were resolved by using two dimensional gel electrophoresis, five differentially expressed proteins were detected. Four of the proteins were identified as albumin precursors, immunoglobulin lambda light chain and zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein. Pregnancy associated glycoprotein-1 was detected by using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and the protein was validated by immunoblotting. These proteins have potential to be used as a biomarker for early pregnancy detection, however, more extensive analysis are needed to validate its possibility.展开更多
To enhance the adhesion of seeding-cells to the biomaterial scaffolds, the PEG-hydrogels were modified. Porcine aortic valves were decellularized with Triton X-100 and trypsin. The cells were encapsulated into the PEG...To enhance the adhesion of seeding-cells to the biomaterial scaffolds, the PEG-hydrogels were modified. Porcine aortic valves were decellularized with Triton X-100 and trypsin. The cells were encapsulated into the PEG-hydrogels to complete the process of the cells attaching to the acellular porcine aortic valves. Herein, the autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of goats were selected as the seeding-cells and the tendency of MSCs toward differentiation was observed when the single semilunar TEHV had been implanted into their abdominal aortas. Furthermore, VEGF, TGF-β1, and the cell adhesive peptide motif RGD were incorporated. Light and electron microscopy observations were performed. Analysis of modified PEG-hydrogels TEHV's (PEG-TEHV) tensile strength, and the ratio of reendothelial and mural thrombosis revealed much better improvement than the naked acellular porcine aortic valve (NAPAV). The data illustrated the critical importance of MSC differentiation into endothelial and myofibroblast for remodeling into native tissue. Our results indicate that it is feasible to reconstruct TEHV efficiently by combining modified PEG-hydrogels with acellular biomaterial scaffold andautologous MSCs cells.展开更多
Background: The disclosure of the poplar genome strengthens its position as well-established model organism. Populus has been subject of several proteome studies, but up to date no comparative study was performed on ...Background: The disclosure of the poplar genome strengthens its position as well-established model organism. Populus has been subject of several proteome studies, but up to date no comparative study was performed on the extraction method of soluble proteins for this species. The extraction is the most critical step in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and each extraction method has its advantages, disadvantages and limitations. Therefore protein extraction methods should be optimized for each tissue before starting an experimental setup. In prospect of future DIGE (Differential Gel electrophoresis) experiments for the investigation of the effects of cadmium and inoculation with plant growth promoting bacteria at the proteome level, the aim of this study was to optimize an extraction method for soluble proteins of poplar leaves and roots. Results: The acetone-phenol extraction method was found to be the most suited, rendering a high spot number and low background interference. During further optimization, several critical steps in the extraction method were revealed. Conclusion: Aiming to optimize the extraction of soluble leaf and root proteins of Populus deltoides × (trichocarpa× deltoides) compatible with DIGE analysis, a protocol rendering high reproducibility, low background interference and a high spot number was established, however no novel insights were acquired.展开更多
Graphene aerogels are desirable for energy storage and conversion, as catalysis supports, and as adsorbents for environmental remediation. To produce graphene aerogels with low density, while maintaining high electric...Graphene aerogels are desirable for energy storage and conversion, as catalysis supports, and as adsorbents for environmental remediation. To produce graphene aerogels with low density, while maintaining high electrical conductivity and strong mechanic performance, we synthesized graphene aerogels by the magnesiothermic reduction of a freeze-dried graphene oxide (GO) self-assembly and subsequent etching of the formed MgO in acid solution. The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) aerogel samples exhibited densities as low as 1.1 mg·cm^-3. The rGO aerogel was very resilient, exhibiting full recoveryeven after being compressed by strains of up to 80%; its elastic modulus (E) scaled with density (p) as E-p^2. The rGO aerogels also exhibited high conductivities (e.g., 27.7 S·m^-1 at 3.6 mg·cm^-3) and outperformed many rGO aerogels fabricated by other reduction processes. Such outstanding properties were ascribed to the microstructures inherited from the freeze-dried GO self-assembly and the magnesiothermic reduction process.展开更多
Techniques for fabricating solution-processed zinc oxide(ZnO)-based thin-film transistors(TFTs)are feasible with solution using various routes.Here,ZnO TFTs were fabricated via sol-gel method using zinc acetate as the...Techniques for fabricating solution-processed zinc oxide(ZnO)-based thin-film transistors(TFTs)are feasible with solution using various routes.Here,ZnO TFTs were fabricated via sol-gel method using zinc acetate as the starting reagent with different modifiers and solvents.The ZnO thin-film semiconductors with well-controlled,preferential crystal orientation and densely packed ZnO crystals can be prepared with the optimized fabrication conditions,exhibiting excellent field-effect far exceeding those of hydrogenated amorphous silicon(a-Si:H).However,the field-effect characteristics of ZnO TFTs were different for different precursor systems which were constituted by zinc acetate,modifiers and solvents.The co-modification of acetoin and monoethanolamine for the precursor system exhibited higher extent of crystal orientation and field-effect.The maximum mobility of 7.65 cm2V-1s-1 and current on-to-off ratio of^105–106 have been obtained.展开更多
Brucine has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and is the main active compound of the seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica L. To study brucine niosomal gels, a reliable and rapid LC-MS/MS method was established to quant...Brucine has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and is the main active compound of the seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica L. To study brucine niosomal gels, a reliable and rapid LC-MS/MS method was established to quantify brucine levels in rats. Tissue distribution and pharmacokinetics of brucine were investigated after topical and oral application of brucine niosomal gels to rats. The plasma concentration versus time profiles suggested that systemic exposure of brucine for oral administration of brucine niosomal gels was higher than that for topical administration, and topical administration showed a relatively sustained release. There was a considerable amount of brucine distributed in the knee joint. These results provided a strong basis for the follow-up study of this preparation.展开更多
Composite biomaterials with controllable mi- crostructures play an increasingly important role in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here, we report a magnetic hydrogel composite with disk-like microstructu...Composite biomaterials with controllable mi- crostructures play an increasingly important role in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here, we report a magnetic hydrogel composite with disk-like microstructure fabricated by assembly of iron oxide nanopartides during the gelation process in the presence of rotating magnetic field. It should be mentioned that the iron oxide nanoparticles here were synthesized identically following techniques of Fer- umoxytol that is the only inorganic nanodrug approved by FDA for clinical applications. The microstructure of nano- particles inside the hydrogel was ordered three-dimensionally due to the twist of the aligned chains of magnetic nano- particles which leads to the lowest state of systematic energy. The size of microstructure can be tuned from several micro- meters to tens of micrometers by changing the assembly parameters. With the increase of microstructure size, the magnetothermal anisotropy was also augmented. This result confirmed that the assembly-induced anisotropy can occur even for the several micron aggregates of nanopartides. The rotating magnetic field-assisted technique is cost-effective, simple and flexible for the fabrication of composite hydrogel with ordered microstructure. We believe it will be favorable for the quick, green and intelligent fabrication of some com- posite materials.展开更多
Studies of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection have shown that many known and unknown cellular molecules in- volved in viral proliferation are up-regulated following HSV-1 infection. In this study, using t...Studies of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection have shown that many known and unknown cellular molecules in- volved in viral proliferation are up-regulated following HSV-1 infection. In this study, using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we found that the expression of the HSV-1 infection response repressive protein (HIRRP, GI 16552881) was up-regulated in human L02 cells infected with HSV-1. HIRRP, an unknown protein, was initially localized in the cytoplasm and then translocated into the nucleus of HSV-l-infected cells. Further analysis showed that HIRRP represses HSV-1 proliferation by inhibiting transcription of the viral genome by interacting with the cellular transcription factor, ATFS, via its N-terminal domain. ATF5 represses the transcription of many host genes but can also act as an activator of genes containing a specific motif. We found that ATF5 promotes the proliferation of HSV-1 via a potential mechanism by which ATF5 enhances the transcription of viral genes during the course of an HSV-1 infection; HIRRP then induces feedback repression of this tran- scription by interacting with ATFS.展开更多
文摘OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a single outpatient dose of intravaginal misoprostol (versus intracervical dinoprostone gel) reduces the oxytocin use for induction. Despite the numerous trials examining misoprostol for induction, the efficacy of a single outpatient dose of misoprostol followed by oxytocin induction is unknown. METHODS: Patients with a term, vertex, singleton pregnancy and a Bishop score of 6 or less were randomly assigned to receive misoprostol (n = 42, 0.25 μg intravaginally) or dinoprostone gel (n = 42, 0.5 mg intracervically) the evening before oxytocin induction. Patients were monitored for 3 hours after administration and discharged to home if fetal assessment was reassuring, for readmission the next morning for oxytocin. Primary outcomes were oxytocin dose, time, and dose intensity (dose divided by duration). Secondary outcomes were incidence of labor, uterine hyperstimulation, cesarean delivery, Apgar score. Statistics used were χ2, Student t test, Mann-Whitney rank sum test, and Fisher exact test. P < .05 was accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS: A single dose of misoprostol significantly decreased the cumulative dose of oxytocin, the cumulative time of oxytocin administration, and the dose intensity of oxytocin (dose divided by time). Data are as follows (mean ±standard error of the mean): oxytocin dose-dinoprostone 10,929 ±219 mU, misoprostol 6,081 ±170 mU, P = .008; oxytocin timedinoprostone 798 ±11 minutes, misoprostol 531 ±11 minutes, P=.009; dose intensity-dinoprostone 11.3 ±0.1 mU/min, misoprostol 7.4 ±0.2 mU/min, P = .003. Misoprostol induced labor during the ripening period in 19 of 41 of patients, compared with 6 of 42 after dinoprostone (P = .002). There was no difference in cesarean delivery (dinoprostone, 8/42; misoprostol, 9/42; P = 1.00). There was no difference in short-term neonatal outcome. No patient had hyperstimulation or required cesarean delivery for nonreassuring fetal assessment during the ripening period. CONCLUSION: A single dose of misoprostol ad ministered in the outpatient setting significantly decreases oxytocin use, largely due to labor within the ripening period.
文摘Aim A novel method has been developed for evaluation of the levels of total residual protein in antibiotics produced by fermentation using gel filtration chromatography (GFC) combined with Bradford assay based on determination of residual protein in lincomycin hydrochloride. Methods The chromatographic conditions were SuperdexTM peptide column, 0.01 mol*L-1 phosphate buffer solution as mobile phase, and flow rate of 1 mL·min-1. Five hundred microliters of lincomycin hydrochloride solution (3 g of lincomycin hydrochloride dissolved in 10 mL of mobile phase) was injected into the chromatograph and the eluted solution was collected between 6 min and 14.5 min (protein eluted from column within this period), and the residual content of total protein in the eluted solution was assayed using Bradford assay method. Results The average recovery was more than 90% for bovine serum albumin, the calibration equation for the range of 0-12 μg·mL-1 of protein was y=-0.002 4x2+0.064 2x+0.002 9, r2=0.999 9, RSD=0.1%-0.9%, and the LOD and LOQ were 3 and 10 ng·mL-1 of protein, respectively. Conclusion The novel method for determining the residual protein in ferment antibio-tics is simple, rapid, and precise.
文摘Objectives.Retinoic acid (RA) has long been used, both topically and systemically, for disorders of keratinization, acne and related disorders.In the present study, the efficacy and tolerability of topical RA prepared as a cyclodextrin beta complex (β-CD) is investigated in 66 acne vulgaris patients.Methods.This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study compares nightly topical application ofRA/β-CDcomplex hydrogel formulation (0.025%), RA/β-CD complex in moisturizing base (0.025%), hydrogel base, moisturizer base or a commercial RA gel (0.05%) in acne vulgaris patients.Improvement of acne was assessed using a 5-point improvement scale and by measuring sebum and moisture content of the skin using an SM 810 sebumeter/corneometer.Results.After 3 months of treatment, mean scores of acne improvement on the 5-point scale were 4 with the RA/β-CD complex hydrogel formulation, 4.1 with the RA/β-CD complex in moisturizing base, 1.2 with hydrogel placebo base, 1.1 with moisturizer placebo base and 3 with the commercial RA product.All patients treated with the commercial product experienced local side-effects.One patient discontinued due to severe irritation.None of the patients treated with the RA/β-CD complex in the moisturizing base and hydrogel formulation experienced significant local irritation, although the sebum content of the skin decreased after application of the RA/β-CD preparations.This change was not significant compared to controls.The moisture content of the skin was better preserved in the group treated with the RA/β-CD complex in the moisturizing base.Conclusion.The topical RA/β-CD complex, in hydrogel and moisturizing base, was more effective than the twice concentrated commercial RA product.There were few topical side-effects with this new formulation, which increases patient compliance.Topical RA/β-CD (0.025%RA) did not significantly reduce sebum secretion but may help to preserve optimum epidermal moisture content with the proper base formulation.This is the first study in the literature reporting efficacy and tolerability of the topical RA/β-CD complex in acne vulgaris.We conclude that the topical RA/β-CD complex displays an improved efficacy and tolerability profile and is an effective treatment alternative for acne vulgaris.
基金the Coulter Foundation and NIH (NIH/NCI 1R21CA156078) for their funding of this project
文摘Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is a promising technique leveraging pressure-driven flow to increase penetration of infused drugs into interstitial spaces. We have developed a fiberoptic microneedle device for inducing local sub-lethal hyperthermia to further improve CED drug distribution volumes, and this study seeks to quantitatively characterize this approach in agarose tissue phantoms. Infusions of dye were conducted in 0.6% (w/w) agarose tissue phantoms with isothermal conditions at 15 ℃, 20℃, 25 ℃, and 30 ℃. Infusion metrics were quantified using a custom shadowgraphy setup and image- processing algorithm. These data were used to build an empirical predictive temporal model of distribution volume as a function of phantom temperature. A second set of proof- of-concept experiments was conducted to evaluate a novel fiberoptic device capable of generating local photothermal heating during fluid infusion. The isothermal infusions showed a positive correlation between temperature and distribution volume, with the volume at 30℃ showing a 7-fold increase at 100 min over the 15 ℃ isothermal case. Infusions during photothermal heating (1064 nm at 500 mW) showed a similar effect with a 3.5-fold increase at 4 h over the control (0 mW). These results and analyses serve to provide insight into and characterization of heat-mediated enhancement of volumetric dispersal.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant nos.31072239,31270213)Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(grant no.KSCX2-EW-Z-3)StateKey Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology&Biotechnology Program(grant no.2011FBZ12)
文摘The MaMV-DC cyanophage,which infects the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa,was isolated from Lake Dianchi,Kunming,China.Twenty-one cyanobacterial strains were used to detect the host range of MaMV-DC.Microcystic aeruginosa FACHB-524 and plaque purification were used to isolate individual cyanophages,and culturing MaMV-DC with cyanobacteria allowed us to prepare purified cyanophages for further analysis.Electron microscopy demonstrated that the negatively stained viral particles are tadpole-shaped with an icosahedral head approximately 70 nm in diameter and a contractile tail approximately 160 nm in length.Using one-step growth experiments,the latent period and burst size of MaMV-DC were estimated to be 24–48 hours and approximately 80infectious units per cell,respectively.Restriction endonuclease digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis were performed using purified MaMV-DC genomic DNA,and the genome size was estimated to be approximately 160 kb.Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE)analysis revealed four major structural proteins.These results support the growing interest in using freshwater cyanophages to control bloom-forming cyanobacterium.
基金Project (No. A-007) supported by the Key Medicine Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China
文摘Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension(IPAH) is a rare disease of unknown etiology.The exact pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension is still not well known.In the past decades,many protein molecules have been found to be in-volved in the development of IPAH.With proteomic techniques,profiling of human plasma proteome becomes more feasible in searching for disease-related markers.In present study,we showed the protein expression profiles of the serum of IPAH and healthy controls after depleting a few high-abundant proteins in serum.Thirteen spots had changed significantly in IPAH com-pared with healthy controls and were identified by LC-MS/MS.Alpha-1-antitrypsin and vitronectin were down-regulated in IPAH and may be valuable candidates for further explorations of their roles in the development of IPAH.
文摘This paper deals with the method of zeolites BEA (beta) and MOR (mordenite) synthesis and the co-crystallization method of zeolites BEA/MOR. Synthesized zeolites were studied based on the SEM (scanning electron microscopy), XRD (x-ray diffraction) and chemical analysis. The porous structure of these zeolites was investigated by nitrogen low-temperature adsorption. It has been illustrated that regulation of the BEA/MOR co-crystalline zeolites phase composition is possible due to variations of the initial alumosilicate gels composition and hydrogen ions concentration. Zeolites containing the co-crystalline phases of BEA/MOR could to be attractive in the processes using the catalysts, which based on the pure phases BEA or MOR zeolites.
基金Project (CXZZ20140506150310438) supported by the Science and Technology Program of Shenzhen City, ChinaProject (2017GK2261) supported by the Science and Technology Program of Hunan Province, ChinaProject (2017zzts111) supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China。
文摘To solve the problem of difficult machining, the near-net shaped Al/SiCP composites with high volume fraction of SiC particles were fabricated by vacuum-pressure infiltration. The SiCP preform with a complex shape was prepared by gelcasting. Pure Al, Al4Mg, and Al4Mg2Si were used as the matrices, respectively. The results indicate that the optimal parameters of SiCP suspension in gelcasting process are pH value of 10, TMAH content of 0.5 wt.%, and solid loading of 52 vol.%. The Al matrix alloyed with Mg contributes to improving the interfacial wettability of the matrix and SiC particles, which increases the relative density of the composite. The Al matrix alloyed with Si is beneficial to inhibiting the formation of the detrimental Al4C3 phases. The Al4Mg2Si/SiCP composite exhibits high relative density of 99.2%, good thermal conductivity of 150 W·m^-1·K^-1, low coefficient of thermal expansion of 10.1×10^-6 K^-1, and excellent bending strength of 489 MPa.
基金the Graduate Developing Innovation Project of Jiangsu Province of China (No. CXZZ11-0306)the Major State Basic Research and Development Program of China (No.2007CB209400)
文摘A new composite two component grout comprised of modified urea-formaldehyde resin and cement was formulated to take account of the advantages and disadvantages of both the cement grout and the chem- ical grout. The new grout is designed for water blocking by reinforcing as well as seepage control by bore grouting. The A component consists of a modified urea-formaldehyde resin A component, some cement, and some water. The B component is an alkaline coagulant. An orthogonal test of four factors at three lev- els showed that gel time increased with increased water content and with urea-formaldehyde resin con- tent. Gel time decreased at increased levels of alkaline coagulant. The A component of this new composite grout is stable over time. A mixed cross-over test showed that as the volume ratio of A to B increases the gel time falls at first but then increases. The solid strength decreases with increasing levels of the B com- ponent. The solid strength increases over time and becomes stable by the 28th day after mixing. The vis- cosity increases with increasing levels of resin A component. The increase is exponential and may be fit to: μ = 8.162e0.0286x.
文摘Early detection of pregnancy is advantageous to breeders. However, tools that were used in the early pregnancy detection are expensive, laboratory-based and not efficient and applicable enough in the field to farmers. Thus, there is a need to find a biomarker which not only can detect pregnancy but also could be applied to the livestock on the field. Proteomic approach was used in this study as to search for early pregnancy biomarker. When goat sera at day 14 of gestation were resolved by using two dimensional gel electrophoresis, five differentially expressed proteins were detected. Four of the proteins were identified as albumin precursors, immunoglobulin lambda light chain and zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein. Pregnancy associated glycoprotein-1 was detected by using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and the protein was validated by immunoblotting. These proteins have potential to be used as a biomarker for early pregnancy detection, however, more extensive analysis are needed to validate its possibility.
文摘To enhance the adhesion of seeding-cells to the biomaterial scaffolds, the PEG-hydrogels were modified. Porcine aortic valves were decellularized with Triton X-100 and trypsin. The cells were encapsulated into the PEG-hydrogels to complete the process of the cells attaching to the acellular porcine aortic valves. Herein, the autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of goats were selected as the seeding-cells and the tendency of MSCs toward differentiation was observed when the single semilunar TEHV had been implanted into their abdominal aortas. Furthermore, VEGF, TGF-β1, and the cell adhesive peptide motif RGD were incorporated. Light and electron microscopy observations were performed. Analysis of modified PEG-hydrogels TEHV's (PEG-TEHV) tensile strength, and the ratio of reendothelial and mural thrombosis revealed much better improvement than the naked acellular porcine aortic valve (NAPAV). The data illustrated the critical importance of MSC differentiation into endothelial and myofibroblast for remodeling into native tissue. Our results indicate that it is feasible to reconstruct TEHV efficiently by combining modified PEG-hydrogels with acellular biomaterial scaffold andautologous MSCs cells.
文摘Background: The disclosure of the poplar genome strengthens its position as well-established model organism. Populus has been subject of several proteome studies, but up to date no comparative study was performed on the extraction method of soluble proteins for this species. The extraction is the most critical step in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and each extraction method has its advantages, disadvantages and limitations. Therefore protein extraction methods should be optimized for each tissue before starting an experimental setup. In prospect of future DIGE (Differential Gel electrophoresis) experiments for the investigation of the effects of cadmium and inoculation with plant growth promoting bacteria at the proteome level, the aim of this study was to optimize an extraction method for soluble proteins of poplar leaves and roots. Results: The acetone-phenol extraction method was found to be the most suited, rendering a high spot number and low background interference. During further optimization, several critical steps in the extraction method were revealed. Conclusion: Aiming to optimize the extraction of soluble leaf and root proteins of Populus deltoides × (trichocarpa× deltoides) compatible with DIGE analysis, a protocol rendering high reproducibility, low background interference and a high spot number was established, however no novel insights were acquired.
基金This work was supported Foundation for Returned Education of China, Key by the Scientific Research Scholars, the Ministry of Basic Research Projects of Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai (No.11JC1412900), and the National Science Foundation of China program (Nos. 21271140, 51472182).
文摘Graphene aerogels are desirable for energy storage and conversion, as catalysis supports, and as adsorbents for environmental remediation. To produce graphene aerogels with low density, while maintaining high electrical conductivity and strong mechanic performance, we synthesized graphene aerogels by the magnesiothermic reduction of a freeze-dried graphene oxide (GO) self-assembly and subsequent etching of the formed MgO in acid solution. The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) aerogel samples exhibited densities as low as 1.1 mg·cm^-3. The rGO aerogel was very resilient, exhibiting full recoveryeven after being compressed by strains of up to 80%; its elastic modulus (E) scaled with density (p) as E-p^2. The rGO aerogels also exhibited high conductivities (e.g., 27.7 S·m^-1 at 3.6 mg·cm^-3) and outperformed many rGO aerogels fabricated by other reduction processes. Such outstanding properties were ascribed to the microstructures inherited from the freeze-dried GO self-assembly and the magnesiothermic reduction process.
基金supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China(Grant No.10332020)
文摘Techniques for fabricating solution-processed zinc oxide(ZnO)-based thin-film transistors(TFTs)are feasible with solution using various routes.Here,ZnO TFTs were fabricated via sol-gel method using zinc acetate as the starting reagent with different modifiers and solvents.The ZnO thin-film semiconductors with well-controlled,preferential crystal orientation and densely packed ZnO crystals can be prepared with the optimized fabrication conditions,exhibiting excellent field-effect far exceeding those of hydrogenated amorphous silicon(a-Si:H).However,the field-effect characteristics of ZnO TFTs were different for different precursor systems which were constituted by zinc acetate,modifiers and solvents.The co-modification of acetoin and monoethanolamine for the precursor system exhibited higher extent of crystal orientation and field-effect.The maximum mobility of 7.65 cm2V-1s-1 and current on-to-off ratio of^105–106 have been obtained.
基金National Science and Technology Major Projects for"Major New Drugs Innovation and Development"(Grant No.2017ZX09301016)
文摘Brucine has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and is the main active compound of the seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica L. To study brucine niosomal gels, a reliable and rapid LC-MS/MS method was established to quantify brucine levels in rats. Tissue distribution and pharmacokinetics of brucine were investigated after topical and oral application of brucine niosomal gels to rats. The plasma concentration versus time profiles suggested that systemic exposure of brucine for oral administration of brucine niosomal gels was higher than that for topical administration, and topical administration showed a relatively sustained release. There was a considerable amount of brucine distributed in the knee joint. These results provided a strong basis for the follow-up study of this preparation.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFA0104301)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universitiesthe supports from Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology
文摘Composite biomaterials with controllable mi- crostructures play an increasingly important role in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here, we report a magnetic hydrogel composite with disk-like microstructure fabricated by assembly of iron oxide nanopartides during the gelation process in the presence of rotating magnetic field. It should be mentioned that the iron oxide nanoparticles here were synthesized identically following techniques of Fer- umoxytol that is the only inorganic nanodrug approved by FDA for clinical applications. The microstructure of nano- particles inside the hydrogel was ordered three-dimensionally due to the twist of the aligned chains of magnetic nano- particles which leads to the lowest state of systematic energy. The size of microstructure can be tuned from several micro- meters to tens of micrometers by changing the assembly parameters. With the increase of microstructure size, the magnetothermal anisotropy was also augmented. This result confirmed that the assembly-induced anisotropy can occur even for the several micron aggregates of nanopartides. The rotating magnetic field-assisted technique is cost-effective, simple and flexible for the fabrication of composite hydrogel with ordered microstructure. We believe it will be favorable for the quick, green and intelligent fabrication of some com- posite materials.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(2012CB518901)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31100127)
文摘Studies of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection have shown that many known and unknown cellular molecules in- volved in viral proliferation are up-regulated following HSV-1 infection. In this study, using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we found that the expression of the HSV-1 infection response repressive protein (HIRRP, GI 16552881) was up-regulated in human L02 cells infected with HSV-1. HIRRP, an unknown protein, was initially localized in the cytoplasm and then translocated into the nucleus of HSV-l-infected cells. Further analysis showed that HIRRP represses HSV-1 proliferation by inhibiting transcription of the viral genome by interacting with the cellular transcription factor, ATFS, via its N-terminal domain. ATF5 represses the transcription of many host genes but can also act as an activator of genes containing a specific motif. We found that ATF5 promotes the proliferation of HSV-1 via a potential mechanism by which ATF5 enhances the transcription of viral genes during the course of an HSV-1 infection; HIRRP then induces feedback repression of this tran- scription by interacting with ATFS.