Correlation between nm23-H_1 expression and transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound performance after radiotherapy for cervical cancer

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

[Effect of RNA interference targeting neuropilin-2 gene on proliferation and apoptosis of colon cancer cell line HCT-8]

Objective: To investigate the effects of down-regulation of expression of neuropilin-2 (NRP-2) by RNA interference (RNAi) technique on proliferation and apoptosis of HCT-8 colon cancer cells. Methods: NRP2-siRNA and negative control (NControl)-siRNA were transferred into HCT-8 colon cancer cells by liposomes (lip2000) as transfection group and negative control group, and phosphate buffered solution (PBS) was added as blank control group. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot were used to detect the transfection effect. The proliferation of cells in the three groups was examined by cell counting kit (CCK) assay, colony-forming unit assay and Ki-67 protein staining assay, respectively. Moreover, the apoptosis of cells in the three groups was determined by acridine orange/propranidine iodide (AO/PI) staining method. Results: The results of RT-qPCR and Western blot showed that the relative expression of NRP-2 mRNA and the content of NRP-2 protein in the transfer group decreased (0.46±0.05 vs 0.99±0.05 and 1.00±0.06; 1.04±0.06 vs 1.73±0.09 and 1.65±0.11) (all P<0.05). The results of CCK-8 demonstrated that the optical density of transfection group was significantly lower than that of the negative control group and the blank control group(24 h: 0.53±0.04 vs 0.82±0.07 and 0.87±0.07; 48 h: 0.54±0.05 vs 1.00±0.09 and 1.17±0.05; 72 h: 0.75±0.05 vs 1.31±0.13 and 1.50±0.03; 96 h:1.05±0.04 vs 1.46±0.09 and 1.86±0.06) (all P<0.05). The results of colony-forming unit assay indicated that the proliferation ability of the cells in the transfer group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups (134.67±8.74 vs 245.33±19.14 and 300.33±14.01, P<0.05). The results of Ki-67 protein staining assay showed that compared with the negative control group and blank control group, the expression of Ki-67 protein was significantly decreased in the transfection group (5.93±0.22 vs 8.36±0.09 and 8.70±0.21, P<0.05). The results of AO/PI assay revealed that the ratio of apoptotic cells to living cells in the transfer group was significantly higher than that in the other two groups (0.43±0.07 vs 0.14±0.04 and 0.11±0.04, P<0.05). Conclusion: The proliferation ability of HCT-8 colon cancer cells decreases, and the apoptosis ability increases by decreasing the expression of NRP-2.

Osteogenically-induced exosomes stimulate osteogenesis of human adipose-derived stem cells

Exosomes exhibit great therapeutic potential in bone tissue engineering. The study aimed to investigate whether the exosomes derived from human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs-Exos) during different time-span of osteogenic differentiation could promote osteogenesis. The appropriate concentrations of hADSCs-Exos to enhance the proliferation, migration and osteogenesis of hADSCs-Exos were also examined. PKH67 labelled hADSCs-Exos was used to detect the internalization ability of hADSCs. The osteogenic differentiation abilities of hADSCs after treatment with hADSCs-Exos was evaluated by Alizarin red staining (ARS). The proliferation and migration of hADSCs was examined by cell counting kit-8 and wound healing assay, respectively. The expression of exosomal surface markers and osteoblast-related protein of hADSCs was assessed by Western blot. PKH67-labelled exosomes were internalized by hADSCs after 4 h incubation. ARS showed that the amount of mineralized nodules in Exo^1−14d group was significantly higher than that in Exo^15−28d group. hADSCs-Exos could promote the proliferation and migration capacity of hADSCs. Western blot analysis showed that after hADSCs-Exos treatment, ALP and RUNX2 were significantly enhanced. Specially, the Exo^1−14d group of 15 μg/mL significantly upregulated the expression of RUNX2 than the other exosomes treated groups. Our findings suggest that exosomes secreted by hADSCs during osteogenic induction for 1–14 days could be efficiently internalized by hADSCs and could induce osteogenic differentiation of hADSCs. Moreover, administration of Exo^1−14d at 15 μg/mL promoted the proliferation and migration of hADSCs. In conclusion, our research confirmed that comprised of hADSCs-Exos and hADSCs may provide a new therapeutic paradigm for bone tissue engineering.

Preparation and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides obtained from abalone viscera by combination of enzymolysis and multiple separation methods

Abalone viscera were byproducts of the abalone processing and usually discarded as wastes. In this study, we tried to obtain functional polysaccharides from abalone viscera by a combination of enzymatic hydrolysis, membrane separation, anion exchange chromatography, and gel filtration techniques. Abalone viscera underwent successive hydrolyzation with alcalase and flavourzyme. Each enzymolysis was followed by deproteinization via membrane separation. The final yield of crude abalone viscera polysaccharide (CAVP) was 19.72%; the polysaccharide content of CAVP was 51.75%. Furthermore, three fractions of polysaccharides (AVP1, AVP2, and AVP3) were isolated from the CAVP by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The molecular weights of each AVP were 14.99 kDa, 58.48 kDa, and 39.63 kDa, with a carbohydrate content of 62.75, 23.09, and 44.67%, respectively. These AVPs showed excellent antioxidant activities in vitro. Our results provide a scientific basis for the further utilization of polysaccharides from abalone viscera. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study demonstrated an eco-friendly approach for industrial production of high purity animal-derived polysaccharides without any environmental pollution caused by the viscera waste of abalone and promoting the comprehensive utilization of abalone resources.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the treatment of pancreaticopleural fistula in children

BACKGROUND

Pancreaticopleural fistula (PPF) is a rare disease, especially in children. Conservative treatment and surgery are traditional therapies, but surgery is invasive. The emergence of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has provided a new noninvasive treatment for PPF and may become the first choice for children with PPF.

AIM

To explore the treatment response to ERCP for PPF in children.

METHODS

Seven children with PPF were hospitalized in the Gastroenterology Department of Beijing Children’s Hospital from December 2007 to May 2019. Data on these seven patients’ clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed, and their treatment responses following surgery and ERCP were compared. The correlation between the length of hospital stay and conservative treatment was analyzed. Peer-reviewed articles written in English and Chinese published from January 2009 to December 2019 were obtained from various open data sources and reviewed.

RESULTS

The seven patients comprised three boys and four girls with a mean age of 6.57 ± 3.26 years. The main symptoms were chest tightness and pain (n = 4), intermittent fever (n = 3), dyspnea (n = 3), and abdominal pain (n = 1), and all patients had bloody pleural effusion. All seven patients were diagnosed with PPF by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and all were initially treated conservatively for a mean of 34.67 ± 22.03 d with a poor response. Among five patients who underwent ERCP, one required surgery because of intubation failure; thus, the success rate of ERCP was 80%. Two patients were successfully treated with surgery (100%). The postoperative hospital stay of the two patients treated by surgery was 20 and 30 d, respectively (mean of 25 d), and that of the four patients treated by ERCP ranged from 12 to 30 d (mean of 19.25 ± 8.85 d). The recovery time after ERCP was short [time to oral feeding, 4-6 d (mean, 5.33 ± 1.15 d); duration of closed thoracic drainage, 2-22 d (mean, 13.3 d)]. Analysis of previous cases of PPF published worldwide during the past decade showed that the treatment success rate of ERCP is not lower than that of surgery. There was no significant difference in the postoperative hospital stay between surgery (16 ± 10.95 d) and ERCP (18.7 ± 6.88 d, P > 0.05). A positive linear correlation was found between the overall hospital stay and ERCP intervention time (R² = 0.9992).

CONCLUSION

ERCP is recommended as the first-choice treatment for PPF in children. ERCP should be performed as early as possible if conditions permit.

Identification of novel monoclonal antibodies targeting the outer membrane protein C and lipopolysaccharides for Escherichia coli O157:H7 detection

AIMS

To identify and evaluate the application of two novel monoclonal antibody (mAb) 2G12 against outer membrane protein (Omp) C and mAb 12B1 targeting the O chain of the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ECO157).

METHODS AND RESULTS

The sensitivity and specificity of these two antibodies were evaluated with eight ECO157 strains and 68 untargeted strains. mAb 2G12 and 12B1 had no detectable binding with any of the non-O157 strains at 6·0 log₁₀ CFU per ml, while its high specificity and affinity remained with all ECO157 strains. When a higher level (8·0 log₁₀ CFU per ml) was tested, 2G12 and 12B1 did not react with 82·35 and 97·06% of the non-O157 strains respectively. Based on the pair of two antibodies, the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected 100% (8/8) of ECO157 strains and none of the non-ECO157 strains. The detection limit of ECO157 strains in pure culture were 4·2 ± 0·2 log₁₀ CFU per ml. When the developed test was applied to artificially inoculated beef samples, the detection limit was 6·0 log₁₀ CFU per gram without enrichment and 1·0 log₁₀ CFU per gram after 12 h of enrichment.

CONCLUSIONS

The two novel antibodies identified in this study served as great candidates for the recovery, and detection of ECO157 from different environmental and food samples.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

ECO157-specific detection was improved by a combination of the novel OmpC mAb and LPS mAb with defined target antigen and good specificity.

Transcranial MR Imaging-Guided Focused Ultrasound Interventions Using Deep Learning Synthesized CT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound is a promising novel technique to treat multiple disorders and diseases. Planning for transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound requires both a CT scan for skull density estimation and treatment-planning simulation and an MR imaging for target identification. It is desirable to simplify the clinical workflow of transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound treatment planning. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of deep learning techniques to convert MR imaging ultrashort TE images directly to synthetic CT of the skull images for use in transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound treatment planning.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The U-Net neural network was trained and tested on data obtained from 41 subjects (mean age, 66.4 ± 11.0 years; 15 women). The derived neural network model was evaluated using a k-fold cross-validation method. Derived acoustic properties were verified by comparing the whole skull-density ratio from deep learning synthesized CT of the skull with the reference CT of the skull. In addition, acoustic and temperature simulations were performed using the deep learning CT to predict the target temperature rise during transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound.

RESULTS

The derived deep learning model generates synthetic CT of the skull images that are highly comparable with the true CT of the skull images. Their intensities in Hounsfield units have a spatial correlation coefficient of 0.80 ± 0.08, a mean absolute error of 104.57 ± 21.33 HU, and a subject-wise correlation coefficient of 0.91. Furthermore, deep learning CT of the skull is reliable in the skull-density ratio estimation (r = 0.96). A simulation study showed that both the peak target temperatures and temperature distribution from deep learning CT are comparable with those of the reference CT.

CONCLUSIONS

The deep learning method can be used to simplify workflow associated with transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound.

Synthesis, structure, and magnetism of BCC KIrO3

KIrO3 in the body-centered cubic variant of the KSbO3-type structure is reported. Black cube-shaped single crystals, obtained from the solid-state reaction in a half-closed silver capsule in a sealed quartz tube, were used for the structural characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The material, space group Im3[combining macron] (no. 204), exhibits a disordered K array and a three-dimensional (3D) IrO6-based tunnel-like framework. Temperature-dependent magnetization and heat capacity measurements suggest a paramagnetic state for KIrO3, with significant contribution of temperature independent paramagnetism and without any sign of long-range magnetic ordering (down to 1.8 K). The 3D motif of this material, based on the 5d Ir5+ ion, is of interest for investigating unconventional magnetism.

Raman Spectroscopy to Characterize Bladder Tissue for Multidimensional Diagnostics of Cancer in Urology

Fiber optic Raman spectroscopy offers labelfree identification of cancer in the bladder under in vivo conditions. However, state-of-the-art Raman technology does not enable to scan the entire bladder wall. Our multidimensional approach within the project Uro-MDD combines panoramic 3D-image reconstruction of white light cystoscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging to define regions of interest for Raman-assisted diagnostics. First Raman results are presented from human control and cancer bladder specimens that demonstrated how to obtain specific molecular information. Such Raman images can be used in a clinical setting to determine cancer margins and the resection status. Fiber probes are under development to translate the technique to in vivo screening.

Exosomal miR-130a-3p regulates osteogenic differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived stem cells through mediating SIRT7/Wnt/β-catenin axis

Objectives

It is of profound significance for clinical bone regeneration to clarify the specific molecular mechanism from which we found that osteogenic differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) will be probably promoted by exosomes.

Materials and Methods

By means of lentiviral transfection, miR‐130a‐3p overexpression and knockdown ADSCs were constructed. Alizarin Red S was used to detect the calcium deposits, and qPCR was used to detect osteogenesis‐related genes, to verify the effect of miR‐130a‐3p on the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs. CCK‐8 was used to detect the effect of miR‐130a‐3p on the proliferation of ADSCs. The target binding between miR‐130a‐3p and SIRT7 was verified by dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay. Furthermore, the role of Wnt signalling pathway in the regulation of ADSCs osteogenesis and differentiation by miR‐130a‐3p was further verified by detecting osteogenic‐related genes and proteins and alkaline phosphatase activity.

Results

(a) Overexpression of miR‐130a‐3p can enhance the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs while reducing protein and mRNA levels of SIRT7, a target of miR‐130a‐3p. (b) Our study further found that overexpression of miR‐130a‐3p leads to down‐regulation of SIRT7 expression with up‐regulation of Wnt signalling pathway‐associated protein. (c) Overexpression of miR‐130a‐3p inhibited proliferation of ADSCs, while knockdown promoted it.

Conclusions

The obtained findings indicate that exosomal miR‐130a‐3p can promote osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs partly by mediating SIRT7/Wnt/β‐catenin axis, which will hence promote the application of exosomal microRNA in the field of bone regeneration.

Understanding the Instability of the Halide Perovskite CsPbI3 through Temperature-Dependent Structural Analysis

Despite the tremendous interest in halide perovskite solar cells, the structural reasons that cause the all-inorganic perovskite CsPbI₃ to be unstable at room temperature remain mysterious, especially since many tolerance-factor-based approaches predict CsPbI₃ should be stable as a perovskite. Here single-crystal X-ray diffraction and X-ray pair distribution function (PDF) measurements characterize bulk perovskite CsPbI₃ from 100 to 295 K to elucidate its thermodynamic instability. While Cs occupies a single site from 100 to 150 K, it splits between two sites from 175 to 295 K with the second site having a lower effective coordination number, which, along with other structural parameters, suggests that Cs rattles in its coordination polyhedron. PDF measurements reveal that on the length scale of the unit cell, the PbI octahedra concurrently become greatly distorted, with one of the IPbI angles approaching 82° compared to the ideal 90°. The rattling of Cs, low number of CsI contacts, and high degree of octahedral distortion cause the instability of perovskite-phase CsPbI_3. These results reveal the limitations of tolerance factors in predicting perovskite stability and provide detailed structural information that suggests methods to engineer stable CsPbI₃ -based solar cells.

Immunosuppressive Property of MSCs Mediated by Cell Surface Receptors

In the past decade, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) tend to exhibit inherent tropism for refractory inflammatory diseases and engineered MSCs have appeared on the market as therapeutic agents. Recently, engineered MSCs target to cell surface molecules on immune cells has been a new strategy to improve MSC applications. In this review, we discuss the roles of multiple receptors (ICAM-1, Gal-9, PD-L1, TIGIT, CD200, and CXCR4) in the process of MSCs' immunosuppressive properties. Furthermore, we discuss the principles and strategies for developing receptor-regulated MSCs and their mechanisms of action and the challenges of using MSCs as immunosuppressive therapies.

Grid refinement in the three-dimensional hybrid recursive regularized lattice Boltzmann method for compressible aerodynamics

Grid refinement techniques are of paramount importance for computational fluid dynamics approaches relying on the use of Cartesian grids. This is especially true of solvers dedicated to aerodynamics, in which the capture of thin shear layers require the use of small cells. In this paper, a three-dimensional grid refinement technique is developed within the framework of hybrid recursive regularized lattice Boltzmann method (HRR-LBM) for compressible high-speed flows, which is an efficient collide-stream-type method on a compact D3Q19 stencil. The proposed method is successfully assessed considering several test cases, namely, an isentropic vortex propagating through transition interface, shock-vortex interaction with intersection between grid refinement interface and shock corrugation, and transonic flows over three-dimensional DLR-M6 wing with seven levels of grid refinement.

The Effects of Timing of Postoperative Radiotherapy on Hypertrophic Scar in a Rabbit Model

Background

Hypertrophic scar is associated with excessive proliferation of fibroblasts, the accumulation of collagen fibers, and angiogenesis associated with chronic inflammation. Scar resection, combined with radiotherapy, is widely used in clinical practice, but timing remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association between the timing of postoperative radiotherapy and the effects on hypertrophic scar in a rabbit model.

Material/Methods

Forty New Zealand white rabbits, 8–12 months old, weighing 1.8–2.3 kg were used in the model of hypertrophic scar and underwent surgical resection with or without postoperative radiotherapy. The study groups included: Group 1, the non-resection group; Group 2, the resection and non-radiotherapy group; Group 3, the immediate postoperative radiotherapy group; Group 4, the 12-hour postoperative radiotherapy group; Group 5, the 24-hour postoperative radiotherapy group; Group 6, the 48-hour postoperative radiotherapy group; Group 7, the 72-hour postoperative radiotherapy group; and Group 8, the 120-hour postoperative radiotherapy group. The rabbit ear skin was observed after treatment, and the hypertrophic scar index (HI), fibroblast numerical area density (NA), and collagen fiber area density (AA) were determined.

Results

The HI, NA, and AA were significantly lower after 48 hours of postoperative radiotherapy (P<0.05), with the effects occurring mainly within 24 hours. There was no difference in HI, NA, and AA between the radiotherapy and non-radiotherapy groups within 24 hours after surgery.

Conclusions

In a rabbit model of hypertrophic scar, surgical resection combined with radiotherapy resulted in an optimal effect within 24 hours after surgery.

Exosome-transmitted lncRNA PCGEM1 promotes invasive and metastasis in gastric cancer by maintaining the stability of SNAI1

PURPOSE

Clinically, hypoxia is associated with increased distant metastasis and poor survival in gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we set out from the cellular interaction to further explain the molecular mechanism of invasion in GC cells under hypoxic conditions.

METHODS

Gastric cancer cells were cultured under 1% O₂ (hypoxia-cultured gastric cancer cells, HGC) and 20% O₂ condition (normoxic-cultured gastric cancer cells, NGC). NGC was co-cultured with HGC-medium. Scrape and Transwell were used to evaluate invasion and migration. Exosomes from GC were extracted by ultracentrifugation. Electron microscopy images, western-blot used to analyze the size distributions and the number of exosomes.

RESULTS

HGC-medium induced NGC dissociated. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) prostate cancer gene expression marker 1 (PCGEM1) was specifically expressed in HGC exosomes. HGC-derived PCGEM1-riched exosomes could promote the invasion and migration of NGC. On the mechanism, PCGEM1 maintained stability and reduced the degradation of SNAI1, which could induce the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of GC.

CONCLUSION

LncRNA PCGEM1 was overexpressed in GC cells. And part of the PCGEM1 can be encapsulated into exosomes. These exosomes promoted invasion and migration of other GC cells. We considered PCGEM1 might act as a "scaffold" combined with SNAI1 and prompt the invasion and migration of GC.

[Complexity of Detecting CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Homologous Recombination in Zebrafish]

Homology-directed (HD) genome modification offers an opportunity to precisely modify the genome. Despite reported successful cases, for many loci, precise genome editing remains challenging and inefficient in vivo. Here we report an effort to precisely knock-in a GFP reporter into gad locus mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 system in the zebrafish Danio rerio. PCR artifact was detected in testing for homologous recombination (HR), but was mitigated by optimizing PCR condition and decreasing the injected targeting plasmid concentration. Under this optimized condition, time course analysis revealed a decline of the HR-positive embryos at embryogenesis progressed. GFP signals also diminished at later developmental stages. The GFP signals were consistent with PCR detection, both of which suggested the loss of targeted insertion events at later stages. Such loss of insertion might be one underlying reason for the inability to obtain germ-line transgenic lines with GFP knocked into the gad locus. Our results suggest that the low HR efficiency associated with CRISPR-mediated knock-in is in part due to loss of insertion after targeted integration into the gad locus.

Exploring the impact of environmental regulations on happiness: new evidence from China

Lower happiness caused by environmental pollution has attracted widespread attention, but existing studies have ignored the impact of environmental governance on happiness, and hardly a research has discussed whether environmental regulations will affect happiness. To make up for the above shortfall, based on the micro data come from Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) in 2015 and the macro data of 28 provinces in China from 2013 to 2015, this study distinguishes three types of environmental regulations which are economical environmental regulation (EER), legal environmental regulation (LER) and supervised environmental regulation (SER), and the econometrical analysis of the linear relationship or potential nonlinear relationship between them and happiness is carried by ordinary least square (OLS) and ordered probit (Oprobit). Considering the time lag of policy implementation, this paper further tests the lagging effects. The results show that EER significantly improves happiness in the long run after implementation, and LER has no significant effect on happiness in the current year and the following year, while the significant nonlinear relationship appear after 2 years, whereas SER has a negative effect on happiness in the year and 2 years later. Therefore, in addition to continuing to increase government investment in environmental administration with adequate budgets, local governments should strengthen the environmental legal system and administrative accountability. And the most important of all, the government should create more avenues for public participation and pay enough attention to the supervision of the public. Finally, this research has great theoretical and realistic significance for the government to control environmental pollution.

Distribution of Microbiota in Fine Particulate Matter Particles in Guangzhou, China

OBJECTIVE

High PM _2.5 concentration is the main feature of increasing haze in developing states, but information on its microbial composition remains very limited. This study aimed to determine the composition of microbiota in PM _2.5 in Guangzhou, a city located in the tropics in China.

METHODS

In Guangzhou, from March 5 ^th to 10 ^th, 2016, PM _2.5 was collected in middle volume air samplers for 23 h daily. The 16S rDNA V4 region of the PM _2.5 sample extracted DNA was investigated using high-throughput sequence.

RESULTS

Among the Guangzhou samples, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the dominant microbiota accounting for more than 90% of the total microbiota, and Stenotrophomonas was the dominant gram-negative bacteria, accounting for 21.30%-23.57%. We examined the difference in bacterial distribution of PM _2.5 between Beijing and Guangzhou at the genus level; Stenotrophomonas was found in both studies, but Escherichia was only detected in Guangzhou.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the diversity and specificity of microbial components in Guangzhou PM _2.5 were studied, which may provide a basis for future pathogenicity research in the tropics.

FBW7 inhibits nucleus pulposus cells proliferation by downregulation of cyclin E in the intervertebral disc degeneration

The article "FBW7 inhibits nucleus pulposus cells proliferation by downregulation of cyclin E in the intervertebral disc degeneration, by J.-W. Xu, J. Wang, K. Yang, S. Guo, C.-S. Feng, H.-Y. Chen, H.-P. Li, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24(2):508-516. DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202001_20026. PMID: 32016952" has been withdrawn from the authors. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.