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Forensic chemistry literature has grown exponentially, with many analytical techniques being used to provide valuable information to help solve criminal cases. Among them, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS), particularly MALDI MS imaging (MALDI MSI), has shown much potential in forensic applications. Due to its high specificity, MALDI MSI can analyze a wide variety of compounds in complex samples without extensive sample preparation, providing chemical profiles and spatial distributions of given analyte(s). This review introduces MALDI MS(I) to forensic scientists with a focus on its basic principles and the applications of MALDI MS(I) to the analysis of fingerprints, drugs of abuse, and their metabolites in hair, medicine samples, animal tissues, and inks in documents.
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A strain of Lactobacillus plantarum CQPC02 (LP-CQPC02) isolated from naturally fermented kimchi was utilized in this investigation. In order to construct an animal model of lupus nephritis, pristane was used. We then used a kit to identify markers in mouse blood and tissues and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to measure the expression of genes associated to nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in mouse kidney tissue. According to the results of the experiments, oral administration of LP-CQPC02 LP-CQPC02 may lessen the lupus nephritis-related rise in urine protein as well as the cytokine levels that were rising in the serum and renal tissues, including IL-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interferon. Additionally, in mice with nephritis, LP-CQPC02 can lower serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and raise total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) levels. In mice with nephritis, LP-CQPC02 can also reduce the positive rate of double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA). Pathological sections were examined, and it was shown that LP-CQPC02 can lessen tissue damage such incomplete glomerular morphology and inflammatory infiltration brought on by nephritis. In the kidneys of mice with lupus nephritis, LP-CQPC02 can upregulate the expression of inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB-α), downregulate the expression of NF-κB, transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). Lactobacillus plantarum CQPC02 has been confirmed to have an intervention effect on nephritis in mice and has the potential as a probiotic.
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Lactobacillus plantarum , Nefrite Lúpica , Probióticos , Animais , Camundongos , Nefrite Lúpica/terapia , Nefrite Lúpica/patologia , NF-kappa B/genética , NF-kappa B/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Fator A de Crescimento do Endotélio Vascular/metabolismo , Fator A de Crescimento do Endotélio Vascular/farmacologia , Probióticos/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the role of ERCC5 genetic polymorphisms in gastric cancer and their relationship with metastasis and recurrence of gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of 200 patients with gastric cancer and 133 healthy subjects were enrolled. MassARRAY iPLEX® technology was used to genotype ERCC5 rs2016073, rs751402, rs2094258, rs2296147, and rs2296148 between the control group and the gastric cancer group. The relationship of ERCC5 genetic polymorphisms with metastasis and recurrence of gastric cancer was explored. The differences in sociodemographic characteristics between patients with gastric cancer and control subjects were compared using the chi-square test. The genetic loci between the control group and the gastric cancer group were analyzed by the chi-square test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the metastasis of gastric cancer between males and females (p=0.628), but there was a significant difference in the metastasis of gastric cancer (p=0.005). Patients aged ≤60 years and >60 years showed no significant difference in the metastasis of gastric cancer (p=0.420), but there was a significant difference in the recurrence of gastric cancer (p<0.001). The loci rs2016073, rs751402, and rs2094258 in the gastric cancer group showed no significant differences compared with the control group (p=0.194), and the loci rs2296147 and rs2296148 showed significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that ERCC5 polymorphisms (e.g., rs201607, rs751402, rs2094258, rs2296147, and rs2296148) may be associated with metastasis and recurrence of gastric cancer.
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Proteínas de Ligação a DNA , Endonucleases , Proteínas Nucleares , Neoplasias Gástricas , Fatores de Transcrição , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Endonucleases/genética , Feminino , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Genótipo , Humanos , Masculino , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único , Neoplasias Gástricas/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genéticaRESUMO
ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differentiating bland thrombus from tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava (IVC) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively investigated 30 consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted radical nephrectomy with IVC thrombectomy and had pathologically confirmed RCC. All patients underwent US and CEUS examination. Two off-line readers observed and recorded thrombus imaging information and enhancement patterns. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for bland thrombus were assessed. Results: Of the 30 patients, no adverse events occurred during administration of the contrast agent. Early enhancement of the mass within the IVC lumen on CEUS was an indicator of tumor thrombus. Bland thrombus showed no intraluminal flow on CEUS. There were eight (26.7%) patients with bland thrombus, including three level II, two level III, and three level IV. There were three cases with cephalic bland thrombus and five cases with caudal bland thrombus. Three caudal bland thrombi extended to the iliac vein and underwent surgical IVC interruption. Based on no intraluminal flow, for bland thrombus, CEUS had 87.5% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 96.7% accuracy, 100% positive predictive value and 95.6% negative predictive value. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the potential of CEUS in the differentiation of bland and tumor thrombus of the IVC in patients with RCC. Since CEUS is an effective, inexpensive, and non-invasive method, it could be a reliable tool in the evaluation of IVC thrombus in patients with RCC.
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Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Adulto , Veia Cava Inferior/diagnóstico por imagem , Carcinoma de Células Renais/diagnóstico por imagem , Ultrassonografia Doppler/métodos , Trombose Venosa , Neoplasias Renais/diagnóstico por imagem , Veia Cava Inferior/cirurgia , Veia Cava Inferior/patologia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Carcinoma de Células Renais/cirurgia , Carcinoma de Células Renais/patologia , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Estudos Retrospectivos , Trombectomia/métodos , Meios de Contraste , Trombose Venosa/cirurgia , Trombose Venosa/patologia , Carga Tumoral , Gradação de Tumores , Neoplasias Renais/cirurgia , Neoplasias Renais/patologia , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differentiating bland thrombus from tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava (IVC) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 30 consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted radical nephrectomy with IVC thrombectomy and had pathologically confirmed RCC. All patients underwent US and CEUS examination. Two offline readers observed and recorded thrombus imaging information and enhancement patterns. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for bland thrombus were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 30 patients, no adverse events occurred during administration of the contrast agent. Early enhancement of the mass within the IVC lumen on CEUS was na indicator of tumor thrombus. Bland thrombus showed no intraluminal flow on CEUS. There were eight (26.7%) patients with bland thrombus, including three level II, two level III, and three level IV. There were three cases with cephalic bland thrombus and five cases with caudal bland thrombus. Three caudal bland thrombi extended to the iliac vein and underwent surgical IVC interruption. Based on no intraluminal flow, for bland thrombus, CEUS had 87.5% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 96.7% accuracy, 100% positive predictive value and 95.6% negative predictive value. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the potential of CEUS in the differentiation of bland and tumor thrombus of the IVC in patients with RCC. Since CEUS is an effective, inexpensive, and non-invasive method, it could be a reliable tool in the evaluation of IVC thrombus in patients with RCC.
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Carcinoma de Células Renais/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias Renais/diagnóstico por imagem , Ultrassonografia Doppler/métodos , Veia Cava Inferior/diagnóstico por imagem , Trombose Venosa/diagnóstico por imagem , Idoso , Carcinoma de Células Renais/patologia , Carcinoma de Células Renais/cirurgia , Meios de Contraste , Feminino , Humanos , Neoplasias Renais/patologia , Neoplasias Renais/cirurgia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Gradação de Tumores , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Estudos Retrospectivos , Trombectomia/métodos , Carga Tumoral , Veia Cava Inferior/patologia , Veia Cava Inferior/cirurgia , Trombose Venosa/patologia , Trombose Venosa/cirurgiaRESUMO
Abstract The leaves of Syringa oblata Lindl., Oleaceae, had been extensively used as a folk medicine to treat various infections, heal inflammations, icteric hepatitis and acute mastitis. The study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of S. oblata leaves ethanol extract against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in primary hepatocytes and mice with the indicator of glutathione S-transferase alpha 1. The hepatoprotective effects of S. oblata leaves ethanol extract were evaluated on the basis of liver histopathology and biochemical parameters as well as hepatic oxidative stress markers. The results showed that CCl4 negatively modulated biochemical parameters and liver antioxidant activities. However, the use of S. oblata leaves ethanol extract restored altered-serum biochemical parameters and liver antioxidant activities in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, the trends in S-transferase alpha 1 were similar to alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase level, and S-transferase alpha 1 was suggested to be a marker for the evaluation of hepatoprotective activity of S. oblata leaves ethanol extract. Histopathological examination showed that CCl4 causes significant hepatic injury relative to control group. The above findings suggested that S. oblata leaves ethanol extract has hepatoprotective effects against CCl4-induced hepatic injury and S-transferase alpha 1 may be an indicator to evaluate the protective effects of S. oblata leaves ethanol extract.
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Emergy analysis quantifies the direct and indirect contributions of nature to human systems providing a sustainability assessment framework, which couples economic growth within biophysical constraints. In this study, Puerto Rico's sustainability was assessed with emergy flow dynamics from 1960 to 2013. During this period, the island shifted from an agriculture-based economy to an industrial base of manufacture and services (1960-1970). The emergy analysis indicated an exponential decline in sustainability during this period. From 1975 to 1992, the island became more industrialized and imported more goods and services. Since 1998, although more renewable production such as forest regeneration occurred, the rapid industrialization heavily relied on imported fossil fuels, goods, and services, resulting in a system that has not been self-sufficient, nor sustainable. The latest economic crisis and the most recently passed financial rescue bill represent an opportunity to redirect Puerto Rico towards a sustainable path with policies that decrease the ratio of imported y to exported emergy, and strategies that encourage efficient use of resources and local production based on the utilization of renewable sources within this U.S. territory.
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RATIONALE: Anti-inflammatory and vascular protective actions of adiponectin are well recognized. However, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. OBJECTIVE: The current study attempted to identify the adiponectin receptor subtype responsible for adiponectin's vascular protective action and investigate the role of ceramidase activation in adiponectin anti-inflammatory signaling. METHODS AND RESULTS: Adiponectin significantly reduced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression and attenuated TNFα-induced oxidative/nitrative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. These anti-inflammatory actions were virtually abolished by adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1-), but not AdipoR2-, knockdown (KD). Treatment with adiponectin significantly increased neutral ceramidase (nCDase) activity (3.7-fold; P<0.01). AdipoR1-KD markedly reduced globular adiponectin-induced nCDase activation, whereas AdipoR2-KD only slightly reduced. More importantly, small interfering RNA-mediated nCDase-KD markedly blocked the effect of adiponectin on TNFα-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression. AMP-activated protein kinase-KD failed to block adiponectin-induced nCDase activation and modestly inhibited adiponectin anti-inflammatory effect. In contrast, in caveolin-1 KD (Cav1-KD) cells, >87% of adiponectin-induced nCDase activation was lost. Whereas adiponectin treatment failed to inhibit TNFα-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression, treatment with sphingosine-1-phosphate or SEW (sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonist) remained effective in Cav1-KD cells. AdipoR1 and Cav1 colocalized and coprecipitated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Adiponectin treatment did not affect this interaction. There is weak basal Cav1/nCDase interaction, which significantly increased after adiponectin treatment. Knockout of AdipoR1 or Cav1 abolished the inhibitory effect of adiponectin on leukocyte rolling and adhesion in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate for the first time that adiponectin inhibits TNFα-induced inflammatory response via Cav1-mediated ceramidase recruitment and activation in an AdipoR1-dependent fashion.