Mn-doped ZnO multileg nanostructures were synthesized via in situ thermal oxidation of Zn and MnO2 powder. Spectroscopic measurements show that Mn ions have been doped into the lattice positions of Zn ions, which strongly induce growth of the observed ZnO multileg nanostructure. It is revealed that the growth mechanism of this kind of multileg ZnO:Mn nanostructure is different from the traditional vapor–solid or vapor–liquid–solid nucleation model of ZnO nanostructures. A possible mechanism is discussed on the basis of the growth process of a tetrapod ZnO nanostructure. Furthermore, we report the observation of an additional Raman peak. This peak is considered to have an origin related to Mn dopant in the ZnO nanostructure. This Raman feature can be regarded as an indicator for the incorporation of Mn ions into the lattice positions of the multileg ZnO nanostructure.

Breathomics is a special branch of metabolomics that quantifies volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from collected exhaled breath samples. Understanding how breath molecules are related to diseases, mechanisms and pathways identified from experimental analytical measurements is challenging due to the lack of an organized resource describing breath molecules, related references and biomedical information embedded in the literature. To provide breath VOCs, related references and biomedical information, we aim to organize a database composed of manually curated information and automatically extracted biomedical information. First, VOCs-related disease information was manually organized from 207 literature linked to 99 VOCs and known Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. Then an automated text mining algorithm was used to extract biomedical information from this literature. In the end, the manually curated information and auto-extracted biomedical information was combined to form a breath molecule database—the Human Breathomics Database (HBDB). We first manually curated and organized disease information including MeSH term from 207 literatures associated with 99 VOCs. Then, an automatic pipeline of text mining approach was used to collect 2766 literatures and extract biomedical information from breath researches. We combined curated information with automatically extracted biomedical information to assemble a breath molecule database, the HBDB. The HBDB is a database that includes references, VOCs and diseases associated with human breathomics. Most of these VOCs were detected in human breath samples or exhaled breath condensate samples. So far, the database contains a total of 913 VOCs in relation to human exhaled breath researches reported in 2766 publications. The HBDB is the most comprehensive HBDB of VOCs in human exhaled breath to date. It is a useful and organized resource for researchers and clinicians to identify and further investigate potential biomarkers from the breath of patients. Database URL: https://hbdb.cmdm.tw

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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. Although its aetiology and pathogenesis remain unclear, recent studies suggest that the dysfunction of granulosa cells may partly be responsible. This study aimed to use cDNA microarray technology to compare granulosa cell gene expression profiles in women with and without PCOS to identify genes that may be aetiologically implicated in the pathogenesis of PCOS. The study cohort included 12 women undergoing in vitro fertilization, six with PCOS and six without PCOS. Differential gene expression profiles were classified by post-analyses of microarray data, followed by western blot analyses to confirm the microarray data of selected genes. In total, 243 genes were differentially expressed (125 upregulated and 118 downregulated) between the PCOS and non-PCOS granulosa cells. These genes are involved in reproductive system development, amino acid metabolism and cellular development and proliferation. Comparative analysis revealed genes involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathways. Western blot analyses confirmed that mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 4 and phospho-ERK1/2 were decreased in PCOS granulosa cells. This study identified candidate genes involved in MAPK/ERK signaling pathways that may influence the function of granulosa cells in PCOS.