Journal of nature and science最新文献

Background: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the mortality risk in patients with chronic kidney diseases (CKD) and end stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

Methods: A literature search was performed from inception through February 2015. Studies that reported relative risks, odds ratios, or hazard ratios comparing the mortality risk of CKD or ESRD patients with CDI versus those without CDI were included. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method.

Results: Four cohort studies with 8,214,676 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled RR of mortality in CKD patients with CDI was 1.73 (95% CI 1.39-2.15). When meta-analysis was limited only to included studies with ESRD patients, the pooled RR of mortality in patients with ESRD was 2.15 (95% CI, 2.07-2.23).

Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrates significantly increased risks of mortality in CKD and ESRD patients with CDI. The magnitudes of mortality risk are high.

Background: Asparaginyl-β-hydroxylase (AAH) promotes cell adhesion, migration, and invasion via Notch activation. AAH's expression is up-regulated by insulin/IGF signaling through PI3K-Akt, but its protein is independently regulated by GSK-3β. The multiple predicted GSK-3β phosphorylation sites suggest post-translational mechanisms may regulate AAH protein expression.

Methods: Human Huh7 hepatoma cells were transfected with recombinant plasmids that expressed full-length N-terminal Myc-tagged (N-Myc-AAH) or C-terminal HA-tagged (C-HA-AAH) cDNA. Effects of IGF-1 on AAH protein were examined using cellular ELISAs, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. Effects of kinase inhibitors relevant to AAH's predicted phosphorylation sites were studied.

Results: IGF-1 stimulation increased AAH protein expression and shifted AAH's localization from the perinuclear zone to the cell periphery, including podocytes. Subsequently, Notch-1 intracellular domain was translocated to the nucleus, which is critical for Notch- modulated gene expression. Besides GSK-3β, inhibition of PKC, PKA, and CK2, which could potentially phosphorylate AAH, increased IGF-1 stimulated AAH protein. Finally, insulin and LiCl independently and additively increased long-term AAH protein expression.

Conclusion: Insulin/IGF-1 stimulation of AAH and Notch are enhanced by inhibiting kinases that could phosphorylate AAH protein. Targeted manipulation of AAH's phosphorylation state may have therapeutic value for reducing AAH-Notch activation and attendant infiltrative growth of hepatocellular carcinomas.

Heart is the first organ formed during organogenesis. The fetal heart undergoes several structural and functional modifications to form the four-chambered mammalian heart. The adult heart shows different adaptations during compensatory and decompensatory heart failure. However, one common adaptation in the pathological heart is fetal reprogramming, where the adult heart expresses several genes and miRNAs which are active in the fetal stage. The fetal reprogramming in the failing heart raises several questions, such as whether the switch of adult to fetal genetic programming is an adaptive response to cope with adverse remodeling of the heart, does the expression of fetal genes protect the heart during compensatory and/or decompensatory heart failure, does repressing the fetal gene in the failing heart is protective to the heart? To answer these questions, we need to understand the expression of genes and miRNAs that are reprogrammed in the failing heart. In view of this, we provided an overview of differentially expressed genes and miRNAs, and their regulation in this review. Further, we elaborated novel strategies for a plausible future therapy of cardiovascular diseases.

Triclosan is a diphenyl ether antimicrobial that has been analyzed by computational conformational chemistry for an understanding of Mechanomolecular Theory. Subsequent energy profile analysis combined with easily seen three-dimensional chemistry structure models for the nonpolar molecule Triclosan show how single bond rotations can alternate rapidly at a polar and nonpolar interface. Bond rotations for the center ether oxygen atom of the two aromatic rings then expose or hide nonbonding lone-pair electrons for the oxygen atom depending on the polar nature of the immediate local molecular environment. Rapid bond movements can subsequently produce fluctuations as vibration energy. Consequently, related mechanical molecular movements calculated as energy relationships by forces acting through different bond positions can help improve on current Mechanomolecular Theory. A previous controversy reported as a discrepancy in literature contends for a possible bacterial resistance from Triclosan antimicrobial. However, findings in clinical settings have not reported a single case for Triclosan bacterial resistance in over 40 years that has been documented carefully in government reports. As a result, Triclosan is recommended whenever there is a health benefit consistent with a number of approvals for use of Triclosan in healthcare devices. Since Triclosan is the most researched antimicrobial ever, literature meta analysis with computational chemistry can best describe new molecular conditions that were previously impossible by conventional chemistry methods. Triclosan vibrational energy can now explain the molecular disruption of bacterial membranes. Further, Triclosan mechanomolecular movements help illustrate use in polymer matrix composites as an antimicrobial with two new additive properties as a toughening agent to improve matrix fracture toughness from microcracking and a hydrophobic wetting agent to help incorporate strengthening fibers. Interrelated Mechanomolecular Theory by oxygen atom bond rotations or a nitrogen-type pyramidal inversion can be shown to produce energy at a polar and nonpolar boundary condition to better make clear membrane transport of other molecules, cell recognition/signaling/defense and enzyme molecular "mixing" action.

Renal and gastrointestinal diseases affect a significant portion of the general population. The process of decision making regarding surgical clearance and pre-operative management of the various complexities and medical conditions associated with these diseases hence becomes crucial. To optimize postoperative outcomes, the considerations for the care of this patient population revolve around effective management of hemostasis and electrolyte status. This subset of conditions is uniquely important with regard to the negative impact of improper administration of medications and perioperative care on patients' prognoses. A thorough understanding and knowledge of standards of care and treatment guidelines for patients with renal dysfunction and gastrointestinal disease assures comprehensive preoperative planning and surgical clearance. This may ultimately lead to improvement of surgical outcomes and potential decrease in postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Objective: Foam pads are commonly used devices in the clinics and laboratories to assess postural control. However, no reliability data are presently available to support the use of one type of foam over another. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-rest reliability of postural sway parameters while using two different types of foam that are commonly used and to determine which type of foam is optimal for providing a consistent and effective perturbation.

Design: Test-retest reliability.

Setting: Clinical setting.

Participants: Ten healthy young subjects were recruited.

Main outcome measures: The Balance Accelerometry Measure device was used to collect postural sway for 90 seconds with eyes open and closed on three different surface conditions (firm, Airex foam and Neurocom foam). Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to determine test-retest reliability.

Results: Eyes open and eyes closed on a firm surface showed fair to good reliability for the path length value (ICC (3,1) = 0.61-0.64, p <0.05). Eyes open and eyes closed on the Airex pad showed fair to excellent reliability for the path length value (ICC (3,1) = 0.41-0.81, p >0.05 with eyes open and eyes closed). Eyes open and eyes closed on the Neurocom foam showed fair to good reliability for the path length value (ICC (3,1)= 0.29-0.45, p >0.05).

Conclusions: The Airex and Neurocom foam pads both provide fair to good reliability. The Airex foam had higher reliability scores with eyes closed than the Neurocom foam pad. Both foam pads appear to produce repeatable findings.

Exposure of humans to cadmium (Cd) either from environmental contamination or from cigarette smoke, often induces lung emphysema and cancers. Lysyl oxidase (LOX), a copper-dependent enzyme essential for crosslinking of the extracellular matrix, displays antagonistic effects on emphysema and cancer pathogenesis. Our previous studies showed down-regulation of LOX in Cd-resistant (CdR) rat fetal lung fibroblasts (RFL6) derived from parental cells via long-term Cd exposure. The cloned rat LOX gene promoter -804/-1 (relative to ATG) with the maximal promoter activity contains the Inr-DPE core promoter, putative NFI binding sites, metal response elements (MRE) and antioxidant response elements (ARE). ChIP assays reported here further characterize the rat LOX gene promoter in response to Cd. CdR cells exhibited enhanced methylation of CpG at the LOX core promoter region and reduced activities of the NFI binding sites and MRE, but increased activity of the ARE in a dose-dependent manner. The collective effect of Cd on the LOX promoter is trans-inhibition of the LOX gene as shown by suppression of histone H3 acetylation in the LOX core promoter region. Thus, the LOX core promoter and redox-sensitive cis-elements are key Cd targets for down-regulation of LOX relevant to mechanisms for Cd-induced emphysema and lung cancers.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease which results from the destruction of myelin and associated collateral tissue damage within the central nervous system (CNS). MS is a highly diverse disease with different clinical profiles. During the past decade, several new treatment options have been introduced, but no treatment completely stops the disease progression. Therefore deeper understanding of the disease mechanism is necessary to develop novel therapeutic strategies. While yet to be proven, there is evidence suggesting the involvement of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, a CD4 T cell subset specialized for the provision of help to B cells, in the pathogenesis of MS. In this review, I will discuss the potential pathogenic roles of Tfh cells in the course of MS.

Epigenetics in cancer prognosis and therapy is gaining recognition in recent years. Breast cancer is a genetic disease harboring numerous genetic mutations, including tumor suppressor BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. However, the functions of BRCA1 in cancer cells are also altered by non-genetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and chromatin structure. Therefore, identification of epigenetic markers for breast cancer is very important for early diagnosis and effective therapy. This review focuses on recent findings on the roles of Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) in BRCA1 functions and breast cancer progression. We previously showed that BRCA1 function and breast cancer progression are frequently associated with HP1 expression level and potentially with chromatin structure. Herein, we suggest that bi-phasic expression of HP1 during breast cancer progression indicates dual roles of HP1 in tumorigenesis. Exploiting differential HP1 expression in tumors could lead to effective cancer therapy. Re-setting the chromatin structure may be a critical step for high-efficiency cancer therapy for many breast cancer patients.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions, affecting 1 in 68 children in the United States alone. Sleep disturbance, particularly insomnia, is very common in children diagnosed with ASD, with evidence supporting overlapping neurobiological and genetic underpinnings. One of the most well studied mechanisms related to ASD and insomnia is dysregulation of the melatonin pathway, which has been observed in many individuals with ASD compared to typically developing controls. Furthermore, variation in genes whose products regulate endogenous melatonin modify sleep patterns in humans and have also been implicated in some cases of ASD. However, the relationship between comorbid insomnia, melatonin processing, and genes that regulate endogenous melatonin levels in ASD is complex and requires further study to fully elucidate. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current findings related to the effects of genetic variation in the melatonergic pathway on risk for expression of sleep disorders in children with ASD. In addition, functional findings related to endogenous levels of melatonin and pharmacokinetic profiles in this patient population are evaluated.