[Corrigendum] Long non‑coding RNA NEAT1 promotes ovarian cancer cell invasion and migration by interacting with miR‑1321 and regulating tight junction protein 3 expression

Subsequently to the publication of the above article, an interested reader drew to the authors' attention that, for the cell invasion and migration assay images shown for the A2780 cell line in Figs. 1 and Fig. 3 on p. 3433 and 3435 respectively, the same data panel had apparently been selected to show the results of the si‑NEAT1 experiment in Fig. 1 and the si‑TJP3 experiment in Fig. 3. After having re‑examined their original data, the authors have realized that the image correctly shown for Fig. 1 was inadvertently copied across to Fig. 3. The corrected version of Fig. 3, now correctly showing the data for the si‑TJP3 experiment with the A2780 cell line, is shown on the next page. Note that this error did not significantly affect the results or the conclusions reported in this paper. All the authors agree to the publication of this Corrigendum, are grateful to the Editor of Molecular Medicine Reports for allowing them the opportunity to correct this error, and apologize to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Molecular Medicine Reports 22: 3429‑3439, 2020; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2020.11428].

Engineering electronic structures and optical properties of a MoSi2N4 monolayer via modulating surface hydrogen chemisorption

Recently, a MoSi2N4 monolayer has been successfully synthesized by a delicately designed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. It exhibits promising (opto)electronic properties due to a relatively narrow bandgap (∼1.94 eV), high electron/hole mobility, and excellent thermal/chemical stability. Currently, much effort is being devoted to further improving its properties through engineering defects or constructing nanocomposites (e.g., van der Waals heterostructures). Herein, we report a theoretical investigation on hydrogenation as an alternative surface functionalization approach to effectively manipulate its electronic structures and optical properties. The calculation results suggested that chemisorption of H atoms on the top of N atoms on MoSi2N4 was energetically most favored. Upon H chemisorption, the band gap values gradually decreased from 1.89 eV (for intrinsic MoSi2N4) to 0 eV (for MoSi2N4-16H) and 0.25 eV (for MoSi2N4-32H), respectively. The results of optical properties studies revealed that a noticeable enhancement in light absorption intensity could be realized in the visible light range after the surface hydrogenation process. Specifically, full-hydrogenated MoSi2N4 (MoSi2N4-32H) manifested a higher absorption coefficient than that of semi-hydrogenated MoSi2N4 (MoSi2N4-16H) in the visible light range. This work can provide theoretical guidance for rational engineering of optical and optoelectronic properties of MoSi2N4 monolayer materials via surface hydrogenation towards emerging applications in electronics, optoelectronics, photocatalysis, etc.

Narciclasine, a novel topoisomerase I inhibitor, exhibited potent anti-cancer activity against cancer cells

DNA topoisomerases are essential nuclear enzymes in correcting topological DNA errors and maintaining DNA integrity. Topoisomerase inhibitors are a significant class of cancer chemotherapeutics with a definite curative effect. Natural products are a rich source of lead compounds for drug discovery, including anti-tumor drugs. In this study, we found that narciclasine (NCS), an amaryllidaceae alkaloid, is a novel inhibitor of topoisomerase I (topo I). Our data demonstrated that NCS inhibited topo I activity and reversed its unwinding effect on p-HOT DNA substrate. However, it had no obvious effect on topo II activity. The molecular mechanism of NCS inhibited topo I showed that NCS did not stabilize topo-DNA covalent complexes in cells, indicating that NCS is not a topo I poison. A blind docking result showed that NCS could bind to topo I, suggesting that NCS might be a topo I suppressor. Additionally, NCS exhibited a potent anti-proliferation effect in various cancer cells. NCS arrested the cell cycle at G2/M phase and induced cell apoptosis. Our study reveals the antitumor mechanisms of NCS and provides a good foundation for the development of anti-cancer drugs based on topo I inhibition.

Nitrogen-Doped Hollow Carbon@Tin Disulfide as A Bipolar Dynamic Host for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with Enhanced Kinetics and Cyclability

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are promising next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems owing to high theoretical specific capacity (1675 mAh/g) and low cost. However, the shuttling effect of soluble polysulfides with slow conversion kinetics has deferred their commercial applications. The feasible design and synthesis of composite cathode hosts offer a promise solution to improving their electrochemical performances. In this work, tin disulfide (SnS₂) nanosheets were anchored on nitrogen-doped hollow carbon with mesoporous shells, forming a bipolar dynamic host ("SnS₂@NHCS"). It can efficiently confine the polysulfides and promote their conversion during (dis)charge. The as-assembled LSBs delivered a high capacity, superior rate and cyclability. This work presents a new view on the exploration of novel composite electrode materials for various rechargeable batteries with emerging applications.

Impact of Agricultural Division of Labor on Fertilizer Reduction Application: Evidence from Western China

Nowadays, environmental friendly agriculture has become the world trend of modern agricultural development; fertilizer reduction application is an essential way to achieve sustainable development goals. With the deepening development of the agricultural specialized division of labor and socialized services, the division of labor economy can promote the economic input of fertilizer. Based on 540 survey data of farmers in the main rice-producing areas of Sichuan Province, this paper constructs a theoretical analytical framework for the impact of agricultural division of labor on fertilizer reduction application. A binary probit model was used to empirically analyze the effect of agricultural division of labor on fertilizer reduction application, and its mechanism was examined. The results show that: (1) both horizontal and vertical agricultural divisions of labor have positive and significant effects on the reduction in fertilizer application by rice farmers. All above results remain stable after treatment of endogeneity; (2) due to the migration of the rural labor, the horizontal division of labor is expressed as changes in the structure of labor and cultivation within the household which has changed. To achieve economies of scale, farmers increase specialization in production, resulting in reducing marginal cost and application of fertilizer; (3) the vertical division of labor is expressed in the adoption of external socialized services by farmers, which improves the land resource endowment of fragmentation and hydraulic conditions. Thus, it creates a good environment for fertilizer application to improve its application efficiency, which in turn promotes fertilizer reduction by farmers. Based on this, this paper proposes that the government should motivate farmers to deepen their participation in the horizontal and vertical division of labor. Meanwhile, it is also necessary to improve the agricultural specialization continuously and further promote the development of socialized services market.

How does Internet use affect farmers' low-carbon agricultural technologies in southern China?

Agricultural low-carbon emission reduction is an essential part of China's ecological civilization construction. Farmers' low-carbon agricultural technology (LCAT) adoption has become an important means to achieve agricultural low-carbon emission reduction. Based on the survey data of 1080 farmers in Sichuan Province, farmers' LCAT adoption has been empirically studied using the combined estimate conditional mixed treatment model (CMP). The results show that the use of the Internet will substantially promote farmers' low-carbon tillage technology adoption and low-carbon fertilization technology adoption but has no significant impact on farmers' low-carbon pharmaceutical application technology adoption, low-carbon irrigation technology adoption, low-carbon agricultural film recycling technology adoption, and straw recycling technology adoption. Mechanism analysis shows that Internet use mainly affects farmers' low-carbon fertilization technology adoption through economic benefit cognition and affects farmers' low-carbon tillage technology adoption through ecological benefit cognition. This study can enhance our understanding of the relationship between Internet use and LCAT adoption and serve as a resource for rural digital infrastructure development and LCAT adoption-related policy design.

Does labor transfer affect rural household cooking fuel choice? Examining the role of income

It's the direction of all humankind's joint efforts to develop clean cooking fuels and reduce carbon emissions vigorously. While most studies found that householder and family characteristics influence household cooking fuel choice, few studies focus on the relationship between labor transfer and the choice of clean cooking fuels. Based on the three-phase survey data of the China Labor-Force Dynamic Survey in 2012, 2014, and 2016, this paper analyzes the influence of labor transfer on rural households' cooking fuel choice. It focuses on the mediating role of income and the heterogeneity of labor transfer on household cooking fuel choice under different educational levels and location conditions. The results show that (1) from 2012 to 2016, there are regional differences in the development of clean cooking fuels; (2) labor transfer can promote households to choose clean cooking fuels, and this result remains robust after controlling for endogeneity; (3) labor transfer indirectly influences household cooking fuel choice through affecting family income; and (4) the impact of labor transfer on household cooking fuel choice varies with different education levels and location conditions. Therefore, analyzing the optimization of rural cooking energy structure from the perspective of labor transfer plays an important role in ensuring the sustainable development of clean cooking fuels in rural areas.

Will farmers follow their peers in adopting straw returning? Evidence from rural Sichuan Province, China

From the perspective of conformity tendency, based on 540 farmers' data in Sichuan Province, China, the study used the probability score matching (PSM) model and mediator model to explore the role of four types of peers' straw returning behavior on farmers' preferences to implement straw returning and the realization paths. It was found that (1) farmers' preferences to implement straw returning were influenced by the straw returning behavior of neighbors, relatives, wealthy villagers, and village cadres, i.e., there were conformity tendencies in farmers' straw returning decisions. (2) The degree of conformity tendencies formed by different peers varied. Among the peers affecting farmers' preferences to implement straw returning, the effect of village cadres was the largest, followed by neighbors, relatives, and the wealthy villagers. (3) The degree of conformity tendencies varied by decision-makers. The younger and less educated the farmers were, the more willing they were to adopt straw returning driven by their neighbors, relatives, wealthy villagers, and village cadres. (4) In the conformity tendencies (including conformity to neighbors, relatives, wealthy villagers, and village cadres) of straw returning, farmers' perceptions of income benefits and environmental benefits played a significant mediating role, and the perception of environmental benefits was more vital.

Impact of outsourced machinery services on farmers' green production behavior: Evidence from Chinese rice farmers

As an important part of agricultural socialization services, outsourced machinery services are of great significance for promoting the green development of agriculture. Using the field survey data of 1080 rice growers in Sichuan Province, this paper empirically analyzes outsourced machinery services' impact and role path on farmers' green production behavior. Further, it analyzes the difference in influence from the perspective of group heterogeneity. The research results show that: (1) The outsourced machinery services significantly impact farmers' adoption of no-tillage technology, organic fertilizer application technology, and straw returning technology. The conclusion is still stable after considering endogeneity. (2) The outsourced machinery services indirectly affect farmers' green production behavior by promoting off-farm employment and expanding the scale of farmland. (3) The impact of outsourced machinery services on farmers' green production behavior is not significant in the male group and the group whose households own agricultural machinery. In conclusion, the study proposes to increase assistance to outsourced machinery services providers and encourage service entities to actively publicize and popularize green production technologies while providing services, to play an influential role in guiding and educating farmers.

Targeting KRAS-mutant stomach/colorectal tumors by disrupting the ERK2-p53 complex

KRAS is widely mutated in human cancers, resulting in unchecked tumor proliferation and metastasis, which makes identifying KRAS-targeting therapies a priority. Herein, we observe that mutant KRAS specifically promotes the formation of the ERK2-p53 complex in stomach/colorectal tumor cells. Disruption of this complex by applying MEK1/2 and ERK2 inhibitors elicits strong apoptotic responses in a p53-dependent manner, validated by genome-wide knockout screening. Mechanistically, p53 physically associates with phosphorylated ERK2 through a hydrophobic interaction in the presence of mutant KRAS, which suppresses p53 activation by preventing the recruitment of p300/CBP; trametinib disrupts the ERK2-p53 complex by reducing ERK2 phosphorylation, allowing the acetylation of p53 protein by recruiting p300/CBP; acetylated p53 activates PUMA transcription and thereby kills KRAS-mutant tumors. Our study shows an important role for the ERK2-p53 complex and provides a potential therapeutic strategy for treating KRAS-mutant cancer.

Energy Consumption Structure and Influencing Factors of Farmers in China from the Perspective of Labor Transfer

Under the background of carbon peak and carbon neutralization, the transformation and upgrading of energy consumption structure is crucial to achieve sustainable environmental development. Based on the questionnaire data of 1080 farmers in Sichuan province in 2021, the IV-Probit model was used to explore the impact of labor from off-farm employment on farmers' energy consumption structure and its specific mechanism. The results show the following: (1) the overall proportion of off-farm employment is not high, only 23%; in cooking energy, the most farmers use high-quality energy, accounting for up to 94%; (2) in addition to high-quality energy, off-farm employment of labor force is positively and significantly correlated with the remaining six types of energy consumption structure. The results of a heterogeneity analysis show that the proportion of off-farm employment of farmers with a high education level and above has the greatest positive effect on the use of high-quality energy; (3) the results of the mediating effect show that the off-farm employment can affect the energy consumption structure of farmers through the two paths of annual cash income and population structure.

Two faces: IL-22 effects prevail over defense against metastasis

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a cytokine with pleotropic and opposing roles in physiological and pathological states. In this issue of Immunity, Giannou et al. and Briukhovetska et al. demonstrate how IL-22 is involved in promoting cancer metastasis formation.

Gibberellin derivative GA-13315 overcomes multidrug resistance in breast cancer by up-regulating BMP6 expression

Chemoresistance represents a major obstacle in breast cancer treatment. Bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) was reported to participate in the occurrence and development of various tumors. In the present study, the results of transcriptome sequencing, qRT-PCR and western blot analysis revealed that BMP6 was down-regulated in multidrug resistant MCF-7/Adr breast cancer cells and BMP6 overexpression sensitized MCF-7/Adr cells to chemotherapeutic drugs, indicating that BMP6 downregulation was involved in the mechanisms of multidrug resistance (MDR) of MCF-7/Adr breast cancer cells. GA-13315 (GA5) is a new tetracyclic diterpenoid selected from a series of gibberellin derivatives. Here, we found that GA5 exhibited more potent anti-tumor activity in multidrug resistant MCF-7/Adr breast cancer cells and xenografts, indicating that GA5 could overcome MDR. Mechanistically, GA5 increased BMP6 expression, and BPM6 knockdown partially reversed the inhibitory effect of GA5 on cell proliferation. Furthermore, we found that ERK phosphorylation and P-gp expression were increased in MCF-7/Adr cells when compared with MCF-7 cells. Either overexpression of BMP6 or treatment the cells with GA5 significantly decreased ERK phosphorylation and P-gp expression, indicating that GA5 reversed MDR of MCF-7/Adr cells by upregulating BMP6, thereby inhibiting the activation of ERK signaling pathway and reducing P-gp expression. Collectively, our present study demonstrated that the MDR of MCF-7/Adr cells was closely related to the low expression of BMP6, and revealed the molecular mechanisms by which GA5 overcame MDR in breast cancer, providing evidence in supporting the development of GA5 to be a promising agent for overcoming MDR in clinical cancer therapy in the future.

Predicting mortality in acute kidney injury patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy using a visualization model: A retrospective study

Background: Patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) require continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) when hemodynamically unstable. We aimed to identify prognostic factors and develop a nomogram that could predict mortality in patients with AKI undergoing CRRT. Methods: Data were extracted from the Dryad Digital Repository. We enrolled 1,002 participants and grouped them randomly into training (n = 670) and verification (n = 332) datasets based on a 2:1 proportion. Based on Cox proportional modeling of the training set, we created a web-based dynamic nomogram to estimate all-cause mortality. Results: The model incorporated phosphate, Charlson comorbidity index, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, levels of creatinine and albumin, and sequential organ failure assessment scores as independent predictive indicators. Model calibration and discrimination were satisfactory. In the training dataset, the area under the curves (AUCs) for estimating the 28-, 56-, and 84-day all-cause mortality were 0.779, 0.780, and 0.787, respectively. The model exhibited excellent calibration and discrimination in the validation dataset, with AUC values of 0.791, 0.778, and 0.806 for estimating 28-, 56-, and 84-day all-cause mortality, respectively. The calibration curves exhibited the consistency of the model between the two cohorts. To visualize the results, we created a web-based calculator. Conclusion: We created a web-based calculator for assessing fatality risk in patients with AKI receiving CRRT, which may help rationalize clinical decision-making and personalized therapy.

Peer effects on the adoption of biogas in rural households of Sichuan Province, China

Encouraging rural residents to adopt biogas is of great practical significance in tackling environmental degradation in China. Based on the survey data of 540 rural households in Sichuan Province, China, this paper studies the peer effects of biogas adoption in rural households, focusing on the influence of relatives and friends on the biogas adoption behavior of rural households. According to whether there is a Chinese New Year visit, the relatives and friends of rural households are divided into strong ties and weak ties. The peer effects are further discussed from the perspective of strong and weak ties, and the probability score matching (PSM) method is used to correct the estimation errors that may be caused by selection bias. In addition, the study further revealed the internal mechanism of peer effects through heterogeneity analysis. The results found that (1) the adoption of biogas by relatives and friends significantly promotes the adoption of biogas in rural households. (2) Compared with relatives and friends who did not visit during the Chinese New Year (weak ties), relatives and friends who visited (strong ties) had a more significant impact on the biogas adoption behavior of rural families. (3) Farmer groups with lower education levels and farther from the market are more affected by the peer effects and are more likely to adopt biogas. The driving effect of biogas behavior choice of relatives and friends on biogas behavior decision of rural households can provide a reference for decision-makers to make relevant measures.

High-performance perovskite photodetectors based on CsPbBr3 microwire arrays: erratum

We correct two errors in our publication [Appl. Opt.60, 8896 (2021)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.437478].

Synthesis and anticancer activity of two highly water-soluble and ionic Pt(iv) complexes as prodrugs for Pt(ii) anticancer drugs

Two new Pt(iv) complexes featuring mesylate as the outer sphere anion, cis,trans,cis-[PtCl₂(OH₂)₂(NH₃)₂](CH₃SO₃)₂ (SPt-1) and cis,trans,cis-[PtCl₂(OH₂)₂(1R,2R-DACH)](CH₃SO₃)₂ (SPt-2), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, IR, and ESI-MS. Both complexes have excellent water-solubility, high molar conductivity and good water stability. They exhibit an irreversible two-electron reduction event with the peak potentials (E _p) for the processes being -0.40 V for SPt-1 and -0.52 V for SPt-2. The biological tests reveal that SPt-2 possesses high in vitro anticancer activity against three human cancer cell lines (HCT-116, A549 and MKN-1) and its overall anticancer activity is slightly greater than that of oxaliplatin, whereas SPt-1 is less active than cisplatin. Moreover, the antitumor efficacy of SPt-2 on human colon carcinoma HCT-116 xenografts in nude mice is also greater than that of oxaliplatin, suggesting that SPt-2 deserves further evaluation as a prodrug for oxaliplatin.

Impact of Team-Based Learning Versus Lecture-Based Learning on Chinese Radiology Education: A Scoping Review and Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of team-based learning in radiology education. Data sources and selection criteria Databases were searched from inception up to August 2019 and included Pubmed, Medline, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Wanfang Database, and Chinese VIP. Randomized trials comparing teaching approaches for medical imaging of which provide the outcomes of theoretical scores and/or practical scores were included. Data were extracted independently by two authors and double-checked for accuracy. Outcomes included knowledge scores and practical scores. We pooled data using random-effects meta-analysis. Twelve trials involving 1,371 participants were included. Team-based learning teaching method had positive impacts on theoretical scores compared with the lecture-based learning or traditional teaching method (SMD = 1.07, 95% CI [0.50, 1.63]) and it positively improved skill scores (SMD = 0.68, 95% CI [0.19, 1.17]). Team-based learning could not only improve theoretical and skill scores in medical imaging courses but also encourage students to learn by themselves. Participants believed team-based learning raised their learning interest, team cooperation ability, and interpersonal communication skills. The heterogeneity of the included studies must be noticed and large well-designed and well-conducted trials are urgently needed.

Synchronous Defect and Interface Engineering of NiMoO4 Nanowire Arrays for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Developing high-performance electrode materials is in high demand for the development of supercapacitors. Herein, defect and interface engineering has been simultaneously realized in NiMoO4 nanowire arrays (NWAs) using a simple sucrose coating followed by an annealing process. The resultant hierarchical oxygen-deficient NiMoO4@C NWAs (denoted as "NiMoO4-x@C") are grown directly on conductive ferronickel foam substrates. This composite affords direct electrical contact with the substrates and directional electron transport, as well as short ionic diffusion pathways. Furthermore, the coating of the amorphous carbon shell and the introduction of oxygen vacancies effectively enhance the electrical conductivity of NiMoO4. In addition, the coated carbon layer improves the structural stability of the NiMoO4 in the whole charging and discharging process, significantly enhancing the cycling stability of the electrode. Consequently, the NiMoO4-x@C electrode delivers a high areal capacitance of 2.24 F cm-2 (1720 F g-1) at a current density of 1 mA cm-2 and superior cycling stability of 84.5% retention after 6000 cycles at 20 mA cm-2. Furthermore, an asymmetric super-capacitor device (ASC) has been constructed with NiMoO4-x@C as the positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode. The as-assembled ASC device shows excellent electrochemical performance with a high energy density of 51.6 W h kg-1 at a power density of 203.95 W kg-1. Moreover, the NiMoO4//AC ASC device manifests remarkable cyclability with 84.5% of capacitance retention over 6000 cycles. The results demonstrate that the NiMoO4-x@C composite is a promising material for electrochemical energy storage. This work can give new insights on the design and development of novel functional electrode materials via defect and interface engineering through simple yet effective chemical routes.

High-performance perovskite photodetectors based on CsPbBr3 microwire arrays

All inorganic perovskite materials have drawn extensive attention, owing to their outstanding performance, facile solution-processed method, and potential applications in optoelectronic devices. However, uncontrollable morphology, high defect density, and instability of perovskites prepared via solution-processed method are the main challenges for their large-scale production and commercialization. Herein, we prepared large-scale CsPbBr₃ microwire arrays with highly ordered morphology and high crystalline quality by a template-assisted method. The photodetectors based on CsPbBr₃ microwire arrays exhibited remarkable on/off photocurrent ratio of 9.02×10³, high detectivity of 1.59×10¹³ Jones, high responsivity of 4.55 A/W, and fast response speed of 4.9/3 ms. More importantly, the photocurrent of the photodetectors hardly changed in air after being stored for two months, indicating remarkable stability. This study demonstrates that CsPbBr₃ microwire arrays provide the possibility for preparing large-scale and high-performance optoelectronic devices.

Efficacy and Safety of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Large-Vessel Ischemic Stroke Beyond 6 h After Symptom Onset: A Meta-Analysis

Background: There is considerable evidence on the benefits of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) within 6 h after symptom onset. However, uncertainties remain regarding EVT efficacy beyond 6 h after symptom onset. We undertook a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of EVT in patients with AIS >6 h after symptom onset.

Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedical through July 2019. We included studies involving early (≤6 h) vs. delayed (>6 h) EVT in selected patients with AIS, based on radiological evaluation criteria. Functional independence, successful recanalization, mortality, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) rates were assessed.

Results: Eight articles, with 3,265 patients who had undergone early EVT and 1,078 patients who had received delayed EVT, were included in the meta-analysis. Patients treated with early EVT showed a similar proportion of functional independence at 90 days [odds ratio (OR) = 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.926–1.397, P = 0.219; I² = 36.2%, P = 0.128] as those treated with delayed EVT. Delayed EVT was also associated with no significant difference in mortality (OR = 1.015, 95% CI = 0.852–1.209; P = 0.871; I² = 0.0%, P = 0.527), successful recanalization (OR = 1.255, 95% CI = 0.923–1.705; P = 0.147; I² = 60.5%, P = 0.009), and sICH (OR = 0.976, 95% CI = 0.737–1.293; P = 0.871; I² = 0.0%, P = 0.742) rates compared with early EVT.

Conclusions: Among selected patients with AIS, delayed EVT showed comparable outcomes in functional independence, recanalization, mortality, and sICH rates compared with early EVT.

Possibility of inducing tumor cell senescence during therapy

The treatment options for cancer include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, the traditional approach of high-dose chemotherapy brings tremendous toxic side effects to patients, as well as potentially causing drug resistance. Drug resistance affects cell proliferation, cell senescence and apoptosis. Cellular senescence refers to the process in which cells change from an active proliferative status to a growth-arrested status. There are multiple factors that regulate this process and cellular senescence is activated by various pathways. Senescent cells present specific characteristics, such as an increased cell volume, flattened cell body morphology, ceased cell division and the expression of β-galactosidase. Tumor senescence can be categorized into replicative senescence and premature senescence. Cellular senescence may inhibit the occurrence and development of tumors, serving as an innovative strategy for the treatment of cancer. The present review mainly focuses on senescent biomarkers, methods for the induction of cellular senescence and its possible application in the treatment of cancer.

Termination dependence and electric field modification of band alignment in a CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction

Carbon nanotube (CNT) and perovskite composite materials possessing the combined advantages of CNTs and perovskites have drawn substantial attention due to their promising applications in photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. Understanding the band alignment of heterojunctions is crucial for further performance improvement. Here, we systematically investigated the interfacial electronic structure and optical absorption of a semiconducting CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction via density functional theory calculations. It was found that the CNT/PbI2-terminated CH3NH3PbI3 (001) surface heterojunction is a type-I band alignment, while the CNT/CH3NH3I-terminated CH3NH3PbI3 (001) surface heterojunction is a type-II band alignment, suggesting the different charge carrier transfer processes as well as termination dependence of band alignment in the CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction. Further investigation indicated that applying electric fields can modify the band alignment type in the CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction. Our results provide the first insight into the interfacial electronic structure of the CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction, which may give a new route for designing optoelectronic devices.

The Outlook of the Development of Innovative Products from Biocompatible Natural Spider Silk in the Beauty Thread-Lifting Industry

Embedding thread lift rhytidectomy, also known as "thread lifting" in China, with the natures of simple operation, less trauma and quick recovery, is progressively used in clinical practice as a new technology of face lifting. Herewith, a brief introduction of the previous advances of thread lifting techniques and materials in the facial beauty industry, combined with the discussion on various types of sutures, common complications, and the site of actions were provided. The main limitations of present thread lifting material include: (1) the use of non-absorbable sutures is liable to cause allergies and a series of complications; (2) the absorbable sutures are easily degradation, and people need to reshape in a relatively short period. Therefore, the high biocompatible spider silk was proposed as a novel material of thread lifting suture and related devices, the advantages and preliminary achievements on spider silk were also addressed.

Effects and mechanisms of Eps8 on the biological behaviour of malignant tumours (Review)

Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (Eps8) was initially identified as the substrate for the kinase activity of EGFR, improving the responsiveness of EGF, which is involved in cell mitosis, differentiation and other physiological functions. Numerous studies over the last decade have demonstrated that Eps8 is overexpressed in most ubiquitous malignant tumours and subsequently binds with its receptor to activate multiple signalling pathways. Eps8 not only participates in the regulation of malignant phenotypes, such as tumour proliferation, invasion, metastasis and drug resistance, but is also related to the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients. Therefore, Eps8 is a potential tumour diagnosis and prognostic biomarker and even a therapeutic target. This review aimed to describe the structural characteristics, role and related molecular mechanism of Eps8 in malignant tumours. In addition, the prospect of Eps8 as a target for cancer therapy is examined.

CD25-Treg-depleting antibodies preserving IL-2 signaling on effector T cells enhance effector activation and antitumor immunity

Intratumoral regulatory T cell (Treg) abundance associates with diminished anti-tumor immunity and poor prognosis in human cancers. Recent work demonstrates that CD25, the high affinity receptor subunit for IL-2, is a selective target for Treg depletion in mouse and human malignancies; however, anti-human CD25 antibodies have failed to deliver clinical responses against solid tumors due to bystander IL-2 receptor signaling blockade on effector T cells, which limits their anti-tumor activity. Here we demonstrate potent single-agent activity of anti-CD25 antibodies optimized to deplete Tregs whilst preserving IL-2-STAT5 signaling on effector T cells, and demonstrate synergy with immune checkpoint blockade in vivo. Pre-clinical evaluation of an anti-human CD25 (RG6292) antibody with equivalent features demonstrates, in both non-human primates and humanized mouse models, efficient Treg depletion with no overt immune-related toxicities. Our data supports the clinical development of RG6292 and evaluation of novel combination therapies incorporating non-IL-2 blocking anti-CD25 antibodies in clinical studies.

Linalool inhibits 22Rv1 prostate cancer cell proliferation and induces apoptosis

Linalool is an unsaturated terpene that can be found in several plants and exhibits various biological activities. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anticancer activity of linalool using the human prostate cancer 22Rv1 cell line. Flow cytometry was employed to study the effects of linalool on the induction of apoptosis, cell cycle progression, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release, whereas the effects of linalool on apoptosis-associated proteins were investigated by western blot analysis. An efficacy study was conducted using 22Rv1 tumor-bearing mice. The expression of the cell proliferation markers Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in xenograft tumors was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to study the induction of apoptosis in an in vivo model. Linalool exerted an inhibitory effect on 22Rv1 cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in both in vitro and in vivo models. Western blot analysis indicated that both the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic and death-receptor-mediated extrinsic pathways were involved in the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, linalool significantly reduced the expression of Ki-67 and PCNA in the 22Rv1 ×enograft model. The findings of the present study provide evidence supporting the anti-proliferative effects of linalool on 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cells, and suggest that linalool may be an effective agent for prostate cancer treatment.

Long non‑coding RNA NEAT1 promotes ovarian cancer cell invasion and migration by interacting with miR‑1321 and regulating tight junction protein 3 expression

Previous studies have reported that long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a significant role in the metastasis of tumors, including ovarian cancer (OC). The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the function and working mechanism of lncRNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) in OC. The expressions of NEAT1 in OC were measured by reverse transcription‑quantitativePCR (RT‑qPCR). The effects of NEAT1 on cell proliferation, invasion, migration and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) were detected by Cell Counting Kit‑8, transwell and wound healing assays, and western blotting. Dual‑luciferase reporter assays were performed to confirm the correlated between NEAT and miR‑1321, miR‑1321 and TJP3. The effect of NEAT1 on miR‑1321 and TJP3 was confirmed by RT‑qPCR and western blotting. Elevated expression of NEAT1 was observed in OC cell lines, and NEAT1 expression was found to be positively related to the expression of tight junction protein 3 (TJP3), which is important in cancer development. Moreover, the present results indicated that NEAT1 and TJP3 expression levels were negatively correlated with microRNA (miR)‑1321 expression in OC. Knockdown of NEAT1 attenuated the migration and invasion of OC cells, as well as increased miR‑1321 expression and in turn led to the reduction of TJP3. Thus, the present study demonstrated that NEAT1 regulates TJP3 expression by sponging miR‑1321 and enhances the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition, invasion and migration of OC cells. Overall, the present study identified the function and mechanism of NEAT1 in OC, suggesting that NEAT1 may be a promising therapeutic target for OC metastasis.

MiR-34a Inhibits Spinal Cord Injury and Blocks Spinal Cord Neuron Apoptosis by Activating Phatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT Pathway Through Targeting CD47

OBJECTIVE

Dysregulation of miR-34a has been reported for its implication in neuronal development. This study aims to explore the effect and possible mechanism of miR-34a on neuron apoptosis induced by Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

SCI model was established using Allen's weight-drop method and rats in the sham group were performed with laminectomy without weight-drop injury. Basso Bcattie Bresnahan (BBB) rating scale was applied to evaluate the locomotor function of rats. Pathological changes of spinal cord tissues in SCI rats were observed after hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Rats were separately injected with miR-34a agomir, miR-34a agomir NC, si-CD47 and si- CD47 NC before their spinal cord tissues were collected for terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl Transferase Mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Expressions of miR-34a, si-CD47, apoptosis related proteins and AKT pathway related proteins were measured by quantitative reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot.

RESULTS

SCI rat models were successfully established evidenced by decreased BBB scores and HE staining. Injection of miR-34a agomir and/or si-CD47 could suppress neuron cell apoptosis, with deceased apoptotic index (AI) and pro-apoptotic protein (cleaved caspase-3 and Bax) levels, and increased expressions of anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Mcl-1). Phosphorylated levels of phatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT were further increased in rats injected with miR-34a agomir and si-CD47, compared with miR-34a agomir or si-CD47 injection alone.

CONCLUSION

MiR-34a can downregulate CD47 expression to activate PI3K/AKT signal pathway, and thus inhibit SCI induced spinal neuron apoptosis.

Abstract 4553: The CD25 antibody RG6292 selectively depletes Tregs while preserving IL-2 signaling and CTL activity for tumor control

Despite the advances in cancer immunotherapy, in particular in the field of checkpoint inhibitors (CPI), many patients fail to respond (primary resistance) or initially benefit but then progress upon treatment (secondary resistance). High regulatory T-cell (Treg) counts correlate with poor prognosis and reduced responsiveness to CPI therapy in humans, underscoring their potential as an immunotherapy target. Clinical attempts aiming to lower Treg counts, however, either failed to deliver convincing Treg reduction or lacked specificity for Treg over tumor antigen specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL). CD25 (the interleukin-2 receptor alpha (IL-2Ra) chain) is a recently revisited target for Treg depletion. For privileged access to IL-2, activated CTL up-regulate CD25 expression only transiently during clonal expansion. Further confirmation of an > 20 fold higher cell surface expression of CD25 on Tregs versus CTLs in human malignancies is provided. The novel compound RG6292 was developed as an ADCC and ADCP competent monoclonal antibody of human IgG1 isotype with afucosylated glycans in the Fc region. RG6292 binds with low monovalent affinity (KD 250 nM) to the extracellular domain of CD25 antigen. A high density of CD25 receptors promotes bivalent avidity of RG6292 increasing its binding strength to CD25 by at least 100 fold (KD 2-3 nM). RG6292 selectively favors the depletion of CD25 high Tregs over CD25 low activated CTLs, here shown in comparison to ipilimumab and mogamulizumab in human αCD3 activated PBMC, human tumor explants and immunopharmacodynamic studies in tumor bearing (BxPC-3), stem cell humanized mice and cynomolgus monkeys. IL-2 is an essential prerequisite for clonal expansion of CTLs, which is necessary to generate effective anti-tumor responses. Earlier immunosuppressant anti-CD25 antibodies (e.g. daclizumab and basiliximab) interfered with the formation of the high affinity IL-2R complex. Their evidenced lack of therapeutic activity in immunoncology tempered enthusiasm and highlights the pivotal role of IL-2. RG6292 is the first anti-human CD25 antibody developed to deplete Tregs selectively while fully preserving IL-2 signaling and CTL activity. Pre-clinically, a single administration of the RG6292 surrogate effectively promoted eradication of established tumors in several tumor mouse models and synergized with CPI in models of CPI resistance. RG6292 is expected to unleash the potential of selective Treg depletion while allowing for unrestricted access of IL 2 to CTLs and could therefore result in clinically superiority compared to other Treg depleting antibodies. RG6292 provides a novel therapeutic approach to alleviate a major mechanism of immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment. Clinical testing is currently ongoing to evaluate the safety and tolerability of RG6292 in patients with advanced solid tumors (NCT04158583).

Citation Format: Maria Amann, Gabriel Schnetzler, Kolben Theresa, Isabelle Solomon, Christophe Boetsch, Estelle Marrer-Berger, Reto Flury, Claudio Murgia, Vaios Karanikas, Johannes Sam, Roger Sutmuller, Jan Eckmann, Hans Koll, Sara Belli, Frederic Arce Vargas, Dimitrios Zervas, Chen Qing, Mark A. Brown, Josephine Salimu, Anne Goubier, Sebastian Neumann, Karl S. Peggs, Sergio A. Quezada. The CD25 antibody RG6292 selectively depletes Tregs while preserving IL-2 signaling and CTL activity for tumor control [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4553.

Rotation velocity measurement based on a self-mixing grating interferometer

A novel rotational velocity measurement method based on the self-mixing grating interferometer (SMGI) is explored and presented in this paper. In this method, the target object rotational velocity is measured by the Doppler frequency shift, which can be extracted through the power spectrum without measuring incident angles. The experimental results show that the relative errors are below 0.5%.

Disaster Risk Perception, Sense of Pace, Evacuation Willingness, and Relocation Willingness of Rural Households in Earthquake-Stricken Areas: Evidence from Sichuan Province, China

Based on survey data from 327 rural households in the areas affected by the Wenchuan Earthquake and Lushan Earthquake in Sichuan Province, this study systematically analyzed disaster risk perception, sense of place, evacuation willingness, and relocation willingness among residents in these earthquake-stricken areas. Further, this study constructed an ordinal logistic regression analysis to probe the correlations between residents’ disaster risk perception or sense of place and evacuation willingness and relocation willingness, respectively. The results showed that (1) faced with the threat of earthquake disasters, residents have a strong willingness to evacuate and relocate. Specifically, 93% and 78% of the residents in the Wenchuan Earthquake and Lushan Earthquake areas were willing to evacuate and relocate, respectively, whereas 4% and 17% of the residents were unwilling to evacuate and relocate, respectively. (2) Place dependence and the severity of disaster occurrence were significantly positively correlated with residents’ evacuation willingness, while the interaction term between place dependence and the severity of disaster occurrence was negatively related to residents’ evacuation willingness. Specifically, when everything else remains constant, every one-unit increase in place dependence and severity corresponds to increases in the odds of willingness to evacuate by factors of 0.042 and 0.051, respectively; every one-unit increase in place dependence × severity corresponds to a decrease in the odds of willingness to evacuation by a factor of 0.004. (3) Place identity was significantly negatively correlated with residents’ relocation willingness, while place dependence and severity of disaster occurrence were positively related to residents’ relocation willingness. The interaction term between place dependence and the severity of disaster occurrence as well as the interaction term between place identity and severity of disaster occurrence were significantly negatively correlated with residents’ relocation willingness. Specifically, every one-unit increase in place identity corresponds to a decrease in the odds of willingness to relocate by a factor of 0.034, while every one-unit increase in place dependence and severity corresponds to increases in the odds of willingness to relocate by factors of 0.041 and 0.028, respectively, and every one-unit increase in place dependence × severity and place identity × severity corresponds to decreases in the odds of willingness to relocate by factors of 0.003 and 0.003, respectively.

Disaster Risk Perception, Sense of Pace, Evacuation Willingness, and Relocation Willingness of Rural Households in Earthquake-Stricken Areas: Evidence from Sichuan Province, China

Based on survey data from 327 rural households in the areas affected by the Wenchuan Earthquake and Lushan Earthquake in Sichuan Province, this study systematically analyzed disaster risk perception, sense of place, evacuation willingness, and relocation willingness among residents in these earthquake-stricken areas. Further, this study constructed an ordinal logistic regression analysis to probe the correlations between residents' disaster risk perception or sense of place and evacuation willingness and relocation willingness, respectively. The results showed that (1) faced with the threat of earthquake disasters, residents have a strong willingness to evacuate and relocate. Specifically, 93% and 78% of the residents in the Wenchuan Earthquake and Lushan Earthquake areas were willing to evacuate and relocate, respectively, whereas 4% and 17% of the residents were unwilling to evacuate and relocate, respectively. (2) Place dependence and the severity of disaster occurrence were significantly positively correlated with residents' evacuation willingness, while the interaction term between place dependence and the severity of disaster occurrence was negatively related to residents' evacuation willingness. Specifically, when everything else remains constant, every one-unit increase in place dependence and severity corresponds to increases in the odds of willingness to evacuate by factors of 0.042 and 0.051, respectively; every one-unit increase in place dependence × severity corresponds to a decrease in the odds of willingness to evacuation by a factor of 0.004. (3) Place identity was significantly negatively correlated with residents' relocation willingness, while place dependence and severity of disaster occurrence were positively related to residents' relocation willingness. The interaction term between place dependence and the severity of disaster occurrence as well as the interaction term between place identity and severity of disaster occurrence were significantly negatively correlated with residents' relocation willingness. Specifically, every one-unit increase in place identity corresponds to a decrease in the odds of willingness to relocate by a factor of 0.034, while every one-unit increase in place dependence and severity corresponds to increases in the odds of willingness to relocate by factors of 0.041 and 0.028, respectively, and every one-unit increase in place dependence × severity and place identity × severity corresponds to decreases in the odds of willingness to relocate by factors of 0.003 and 0.003, respectively.

Earthquake Disaster Risk Perception Process Model for Rural Households: A Pilot Study from Southwestern China

There are many important factors to consider when creating robust, regional disaster prevention systems. These include rural households’ knowledge and reported skills of earthquake disasters, disaster risk perception, awareness of disaster risk reduction, willingness to purchase insurance, and willingness to relocate to avoid disasters. However, few empirical studies have systematically established the theoretical research frameworks to analyze these factors. This study analyzed the data sampled from 241 rural households located in counties affected by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. A theoretical model was designed to investigate rural households’ disaster risk perception and used path analysis to systematically analyze the mechanism of the factors stated above. The results showed that 53.11% of rural households had a stronger willingness to purchase disease insurance and 72.19% had a stronger willingness to relocate to avoid disasters. Risk perception, knowledge and reported skills, and awareness of disaster risk reduction were significantly correlated with a willingness to purchase disaster insurance. Risk perception and awareness of disaster risk reduction were significantly positively correlated with a willingness to relocate to avoid disasters. Knowledge and reported skills indirectly affected the willingness to purchase insurance and the willingness to relocate to avoid disasters through risk perception and awareness of disaster risk reduction. Risk perception could indirectly affect the willingness to purchase insurance and the willingness to relocate to avoid disasters through awareness of disaster risk reduction.

[Preliminary evaluation and mechanism of adipose-derived stem cell transplantation from allogenic diabetic rats in the treatment of diabetic rat wounds]

Objective: To investigate whether adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) from allogeneic diabetic rats can promote wound healing in diabetic rats or not and the mechanism. Methods: (1) Fifty-six male Wistar rats aged 12-16 weeks were divided into diabetic group and healthy group according to the random number table (the same grouping method below), with 28 rats in each group. Rats in healthy group were not treated with any treatment. Rats in diabetic group were injected with 10 g/L streptozotocin 60 mg/kg intraperitoneally in one time to establish the diabetic model. Four rats in diabetic group and 4 rats in healthy group were selected according to the random number table, and the adipose tissue in the inguinal region was taken to culture and purify ASCs, so as to obtain healthy rat-derived ASCs (hereinafter referred to as nASCs) and diabetic rat-derived ASCs (hereinafter referred to as dASCs). The third passage of nASCs (n=3) and dASCs (n=3) were taken, and the positive expression rates of cell surface differentiation antigens CD105, CD31, CD34, and CD44 were detected with flow cytometer for defining ASCs purity. (2) The rest 24 rats in healthy group and 24 rats in diabetic group were used to make three round full-thickness skin defect wounds with a diameter of 12 mm on the back of each rat. Immediately after injury, phosphate buffer saline (PBS), nASCs of 2×10(7)/mL, and dASCs of 2×10(7)/mL each in the volume of 0.5 mL were subcutaneously injected into three wounds and their margins of each rat, respectively. On post injury day (PID) 1, 3, 7, and 12, 6 rats in each group were selected according to the random number table to calculate the wound area, and the wound tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin to observe the histological morphology of the wound. (3) Human ASCs (hASCs) were subcultured, and the 4th to 7th passage of cells were used for the subsequent experiments. The hASCs were divided into 7 groups, with 12 samples in each group. Cells in blank control group were cultured with mesenchymal stem cell culture medium, and cells in simple advanced glycation end products (AGEs) group, simple protein group, simple high glucose group, simple high osmotic pressure group, AGEs-high glucose combination group, and protein-high osmotic pressure combination group were cultured with mesenchymal stem cell culture medium containing a final mass concentration of 100 mg/L AGEs, 100 mg/L bovine serum albumin (BSA), 28 mmol/L D-glucose, 28 mmol/L mannitol, 100 mg/L AGEs+ 28 mmol/L D-glucose, 100 mg/L BSA+ 28 mmol/L mannitol, respectively. Cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit 8 at post culture hour (PCH) 2 and on post culture day (PCD) 2, 4 and 6. (4) The hASCs were divided into blank control group, simple AGE group, simple high glucose group, and AGE-high glucose combination group, with 12 samples in each group, which were treated the same as corresponding groups in experiment (3). On PCD 0, 2, 4, and 6, the positive expression rates of cell surface differentiation antigens CD105, CD44, and CD45 were detected by flow cytometer to estimate their homeostasis. (5) The hASCs were divided into AGE-high glucose combination group and protein-high osmotic pressure combination group, with 9 samples in each group, which were treated the same as corresponding groups in experiment (3). On PCD 2, 4, and 6, the expression of intracellular protein was detected by cyanine 3-streptavidin double-antibody sandwich technique. Data were processed with analysis of variance for factorial design, least significant difference test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: (1) The positive expression rates of CD44 in nASCs and dASCs were both higher than 96%, the positive expression rates of CD31 and CD34 were low, and the positive expression rates of CD105 were about 40%, which basically met the purity requirements. (2) The areas of wounds treated by three methods in rats of healthy group and diabetic group were similar on PID 1 (P>0.05). In healthy group, compared with (0.682 1±0.078 9), (0.314 3±0.113 7), and (0.064 3±0.002 1) cm(2) of the PBS-treated wounds in rats, the area of nASCs-treated wounds in rats decreased significantly on PID 3, 7, and 12 [(0.464 1±0.092 6), (0.223 9±0.072 7), and (0.034 3±0.012 5) cm(2), P<0.05], the area of dASCs-treated wounds in rats decreased significantly on PID 3 and 12 [(0.514 1±0.124 1) and (0.043 7±0.032 8) cm(2), P<0.05] but was not obviously changed on PID 7 [(0.274 2±0.062 5) cm(2), P>0.05]. Compared with those of the dASCs-treated wounds of rats within the same group, the area of the nASCs-treated wounds of rats in healthy group decreased significantly on PID 3 and 7 (P<0.05) but was not obviously changed on PID 12 (P>0.05). In diabetic group, compared with (0.853 5±0.204 8), (0.670 5±0.164 8), and (0.131 4±0.074 4) cm(2) of the PBS-treated wounds in rats, the area of nASCs-treated wounds in rats decreased significantly on PID 3, 7, and 12 [(0.633 4±0.132 5), (0.331 8±0.023 5), and (0.074 2±0.003 8) cm(2), P<0.05], the area of dASCs-treated wounds in rats decreased significantly on PID 3 [(0.773 6±0.182 2) cm(2), P<0.05] but was not obviously changed on PID 7 and 12 [(0.510 6±0.192 2) and (0.114 4±0.003 1) cm(2), P>0.05]. Compared with the dASCs-treated wounds of rats within the same group, the area of the nASCs-treated wounds of rats in diabetic group was not obviously changed on PID 3 and 7 (P>0.05) but decreased significantly on PID 12 (P<0.05). There was no obvious difference in histological morphology of the wounds treated with three methods in rats of each group on PID 1. On PID 3, a small amount of microvessels were formed in the wounds treated with nASCs and dASCs of rats in both groups, but microvessel formation was almost undetected in the PBS-treated wounds. On PID 7, more small blood vessels and fibroblasts (Fbs) were observed in the wounds treated with nASCs and dASCs of rats in both groups, but the small blood vessels and Fbs were slightly less in the PBS-treated wounds. On PID 12, the wounds treated with nASCs and dASCs of rats in the two groups were covered by epithelial tissue, the granulation tissue in the PBS-treated wounds of rats in healthy group was not obvious, and the PBS-treated wounds of rats in diabetic group were not completely epithelialized. (3) Compared with those of blank control group, the cell number of hASCs in simple AGEs group decreased significantly on PCD 2, 4, and 6 (P<0.05), which increased significantly on PCD 2 and 4 in simple high glucose group (P<0.05), and that in AGEs-high glucose combination group decreased significantly on PCD 4 and 6 (P<0.05). (4) Compared with that on PCD 4 within the same group, the positive expression rate of CD105 in hASCs decreased significantly in blank control group, simple AGEs group, and AGEs-high glucose combination group on PCD 6 (P<0.05). The positive expression rate of CD44 was higher than 95%, and that of CD45 was less than 2% in hASCs of each group at each time point. (5) Detection values of 7 proteins were located in the confidence interval. The expression levels of basic fibroblast growth factor and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in hASCs of AGEs-high glucose combination group and protein-high osmotic pressure combination group showed increasing trend with the prolongation of culture time. The expression level of human monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in hASCs of AGEs-high glucose combination group showed increasing trend with the prolongation of culture time, while the expression level of growth-regulated oncogene (GRO) on PCD 6 was significantly higher than that on PCD 4 within the same group (P<0.05); the expression levels of MCP-1 and GRO in hASCs of protein-high osmotic pressure combination group showed decreasing trend with the prolongation of culture time. The expression level of follistatin in hASCs of protein-high osmotic pressure combination group decreased obviously on PCD 4, while that in hASCs of AGEs-high glucose combination group was significantly lower on PCD 6 than that on PCD 4 (P<0.05). The expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in hASCs of protein-high osmotic pressure combination group decreased gradually with the prolongation of culture time, while that in hASCs of AGEs-high glucose combination group on PCD 4 decreased significantly as compared with that on PCD 2 (P<0.05). The expression level of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor in hASCs of protein-high osmotic pressure combination group on PCD 6 was significantly higher than that on PCD 4 within the same group (P<0.05) and that of AGEs-high glucose combination group on PCD 6 (P<0.05). Conclusions: Both nASCs and dASCs can promote wound healing in rats with simple defect injury, but dASCs have no significant effect on wound healing in rats with diabetes mellitus, which may be related to the inhibition of ASCs proliferation and the influence of high glucose and AGEs intervention on their homeostasis and secretory function.

TRIM67 promotes NF‑κB pathway and cell apoptosis in GA‑13315‑treated lung cancer cells

13‑Chlorine‑3,15‑dioxy‑gibberellic acid methyl ester (GA‑13315), a gibberellin derivative, possesses strong anti‑tumor activity in vitro and in vivo. The present study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of GA‑13315‑induced apoptosis in human non‑small cell lung cancer cell lines. Lung cancer cells were treated with different doses of GA‑13315 (4, 8, 16 and 32 ng/µl) for 48 h, and a CCK8 assay was performed to measure cell viability. Alteration in gene expression was identified using RNA‑sequencing (RNA‑Seq). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to confirm the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in RNA‑Seq. Gene expression plasmids or small interfering RNA were used to overexpress or silence targeted genes, in order to investigate downstream signals. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was conducted to evaluate the binding of transcription factors to the target genes. A Student's t‑test or one‑way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's honestly significant difference post‑hoc test were performed to evaluate the significance between groups. P<0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. GA‑13315 significantly decreased the number of viable cells and induced apoptosis among lung cancer cells (median lethal dose =12‑16 ng/µl). RNA‑Seq identified 250 significant DEGs, including 94 upregulated and 156 downregulated genes in A549 cells (P<0.05; fold change ≥1.5). Upregulation of TRIM67, NF‑κB subunit 2 (NF‑κB2) and FAS was additionally confirmed using qPCR and western blot analysis in A549 and H460 cells. Apoptosis of A549 cells was significantly decreased following knockdown of TRIM67. GA‑13315 promoted TRIM67 expression to increase FAS expression and cell apoptosis. TRIM67 promoted the processing of NF‑κB2 into its active form, p52, which then enhanced the NF‑κB pathway and GA‑13315‑induced apoptosis.

miRNA-99b-5p targets FZD8 to inhibit non-small cell lung cancer proliferation, migration and invasion

Background

miRNAs were found to play crucial roles in regulating cellular behaviors. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological function of miRNA-99b-5p (miR-99b-5p) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials and methods

miR-99b-5p expression level in NSCLC cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were examined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, wound-healing assay and Transwell invasion assay, respectively. Dual-luciferase activity reporter assay and Western blot assay were conducted to validate the target of miR-99b-5p.

Results

The expression of miR-99b-5p was decreased in NSCLC cell lines compared with normal cell line. Overexpression of miR-99b-5p inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. FZD8 was validated as a direct target of miR-99b-5p. Overexpression of FZD8 partially abolished the effects of miR-99b-5p mimic on NSCLC cell behaviors.

Conclusion

Collectively, our results demonstrated that miR-99b-5p inhibits NSCLC cell proliferation, migration and invasion through targeting FZD8. This newly identified miR-99b-5p/FZD8 axis provided novel insights into the mechanisms underlying NSCLC progression.

[Thoughts and principles of diagnosis and treatment of chronic refractory wounds in China]

The correct thoughts and principles of diagnosis and treatment of chronic refractory wounds need to be formulated. Through the relevant domestic and international consensus and based on clinical experience, the Thoughts and principles of diagnosis and treatment of chronic refractory wounds in China is proposed. It is considered that in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic refractory wounds, in the case of fully understanding the patient's medical history, the following thoughts and principles should be complied in order. (1) Pay attention to the cleanliness of the wound after being cleaned. (2) Reasonably perform debridement to avoid being " excessive" or " not thorough". (3) Reasonably perform examination, diagnosis, and differential diagnosis of pathogenic factors. (4) Treat according to etiology. (5) Find comorbidities and prevent adverse outcomes. (6) Select the correct wound treatment method reasonably and timely. When the conservative wound care treatment is considered, pay attention to embodying the concept of etiological treatment, treat the wound according to the principles of safety, phase, selectivity, and effectiveness, and make a reasonable choice of continuing conservative treatment or surgical treatment in time after completing the preparation of the wound bed. When surgical treatment is considered, pay attention to the selection of reasonable surgical method and donor site, pay attention to the healing rate of surgical wound site and the outcome of donor site, and give reasonable protection to the wound site after surgery. (7) Carry out rehabilitation treatment after wound healing and related health education.

Next-generation sequencing-based genomic profiling analysis reveals novel mutations for clinical diagnosis in Chinese primary epithelial ovarian cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most malignant gynecological tumors, associated with excess death rate (50-60%) in ovarian cancer patients. Particularly, among newly occurred ovarian cancer patients, 70% of clinical cases are diagnosed at the advanced stage, which definitely delay the timely treatment and lead to high mortality rate within 5 years post diagnosis. Therefore, identification of sensitive gene markers, as well as development of reliable genetic diagnosis, are important for the early detection and precise therapy for OC patients. This study aims to identify novel genetic mutations and develop a feasible clinical approach for early OC diagnosis.

METHODS

The OC tissue-derived DNA sample was acquired from 31 OC patients, and the somatic gene mutations will be identified after comparison with normal samples, using Genome-wide analysis and next-generation sequencing.

RESULTS

A total of 463 somatic mutations, which were considered as potential pathogenic sites, were assigned to 473 genes. Among them, 15 genes (TP53, TTN, MUC16, OR4N2, BRCA1, CAD, CCDC129, INSR, NAV3, NELL2, NRAS, OBSCN, PGLYRP4, RBM15B and TRPC7) were mutated on at least two sites. These genes were mapped to RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data, and a total of 117 genes had an absolute fold- change ≥ 2 and p ≤ 0.01. Five genes were mutated in at least two OC patients. Gene ontology (GO) classification indicated that a majority of genes participated in biological processes. Kyoto Enrichment of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment pathway analysis revealed that the genes were mainly involved in the regulation of metabolic signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, this study identified several novel genetic alterations pathway for early clinical diagnosis and provided abundant information for understanding molecular mechanisms of the OC occurrence and development.

Abstract A192: Non-IL-2 blocking anti-CD25-targeting antibodies: depletion of regulatory T-cells driving optimal effector response for rejection of established tumors

The accumulation of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in the tumor hampers effector antitumor activity and correlates with a poor prognosis in several human cancers. Increasing the effector T-cell (Teff) to regulatory T-cell (Treg) ratio is known to result in improved control of established tumors. Studies demonstrating high levels of CD25 expression on Tregs and only low levels on Teff in human tumors have underscored its relevance as a target for Treg depletion. This supported the development of anti-CD25 depleting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as a promising monotherapy as well as combination partner in cancer immunotherapies. To date, anti-CD25 antibodies for clinical use have been designed to block IL-2 binding and signaling through the IL-2 receptor complex and also depletes CD25 positive cells. Since IL-2 is a critical cytokine involved in T-cell activation and proliferation, we hypothesized that a depleting antibody targeting CD25 but unable to block IL-2 signaling would promote a more potent anti-tumor response by preferentially depleting Tregs while still allowing IL-2 to stimulate effector T-cells expressing low levels of CD25 on their surface. We therefore compared the functional activity of anti-mouse CD25 depleting mAbs with and without IL-2 blocking activity. After having confirmed their differential impact on IL-2 signaling in vitro and in vivo, we evaluated the therapeutic activity of these mAbs in various syngeneic tumor models. While both the IL-2 blocking and non-IL-2 blocking mAbs showed equivalent Treg-depleting activity, the antibody sparing IL-2 signaling (αCD25NIB) promoted stronger antitumor effect than the IL-2 blocking mAb, with complete tumor regression observed in 70-100% of the mice after a single administration of the antibody. We demonstrated that the αCD25NIB would be an ideal partner for combination against several tumor types including “immune cold” tumors and αPD-L1 resistant tumors. Our data demonstrate that targeting CD25 with ADCC enabled antibodies preserving IL-2 signaling is a novel and powerful strategy for rejection of established tumors via depletion of Treg cells and enhanced, cell intrinsic, IL-2-driven effector T-cell activation.

Citation Format: Anne Goubier, Isabelle Solomon, Frederick Arce Vargas, Dimitrios Zervas, Chen Qing, Josephine Salimu, Mark Brown, Pascal Merchiers, Karl S. Peggs, Sergio A. Quezada. Non-IL-2 blocking anti-CD25-targeting antibodies: depletion of regulatory T-cells driving optimal effector response for rejection of established tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A192.

Anti-tumor effects and mechanism of GA-13315, a novel gibberellin derivative, in human lung adenocarcinoma: an in vitro and in vivo study

Objective

To investigate the anti-tumor effects and the mechanism of the compound 13-chlorine-3, 15-dioxy-gibberellic acid methyl ester (GA-13315) in lung adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

The antiproliferative effect of GA-13313 on the A549 cell line was determined by MTT (3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. A xenograft model of A549 was established to evaluate the anti-tumor effect and histopathological examination was performed to assess the toxicity of GA-13315. Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining in tissues and flow cytometry in cells; activation of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis; protein levels of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), caspase-4, activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (GADD153) were determined by western blotting. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was measured by the JC-1 fluorescence probe.

Results

Our results showed that GA-13315 exhibited potent, dose- and time-dependent anti-proliferative activity, and the IC50 values were 37.43 ± 2.73, 28.08 ± 7.76 and 19.29 ± 7.61 μM at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. The xenograft experiment revealed that tumor weight and volume were significantly decreased after GA-13315 3 mg/kg and 9 mg/kg (P < 0.05) treatment, and GA-13315 had low toxicity in bone marrow, kidney and colon tissues. GA-13315 triggered remarkable apoptosis in A549 cells at the concentration of 25.6 μM and 32 μM (P < 0.05) and activated caspase-3, − 8 and − 9. Moreover, GA-13315 induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway by elevating the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, releasing cytochrome c and activating caspase-9 in A549 cells. In the endoplasmic reticulum apoptosis pathway, the levels of caspase-4, ATF4, GRP78 and GADD153 were markedly upregulated.

Conclusions

This study suggests that GA-13315 can be considered as a promising chemotherapeutic agent with anticancer activity in treatment of lung cancer in future.

Enantioseparation of Cinacalcet, and its Two Related Compounds by HPLC with Self-Made Chiral Stationary Phases and Chiral Mobile Phase Additives

Background:

Cinacalcet is one of the second-generation calcimimetics which consists of a chiral center. The pharmacological effect of R-cinacalcet is 1000 times greater than that of the Scinacalcet. As mentioned in many literatures, 1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine is used as the starting material for the synthesis of cinacalcet. The absolute structure of cinacalcet is influenced by the starting materials.

Methods:

We present the chiral separation of cinacalcet and its starting material, 1-(1-naphthyl) ethylamine along with one of its intermediates, N-(1-(naphthalen-1-yl) ethyl)-3- (3-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl) propanamide by high-performance liquid chromatography with chiral stationary phase and chiral mobile phase additives.

Results:

On vancomycin and cellulose tri 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase, cinacalcet and 1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine achieved enantioseparation under normal phase with addition of triethylamine additives, respectively. Meanwhile, 1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine and N-(1-(naphthalen-1- yl)ethyl)-3-(3-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl) propanamide achieved enantioseparation on 1-napthalene vancomycin chiral stationary phase using D-tartaric acid, diethyl L-tartrate and diethyl D-tartrate as chiral mobile phase additives.

Conclusion:

The chiral recognition in our experiment was based on the hydrogen-bonding, dipoledipole and π-π interactions among the solutes, chiral stationary phases and chiral mobile phase additives. In addition, the space adaptability of chiral stationary phases also affected the separation efficacy.

Identification of circular RNAs hsa_circ_0044235 in peripheral blood as novel biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new class of RNAs that can be used as biomarkers in clinical blood samples. However, little is known about circRNAs' diagnostic values for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, the hsa_circ_0054189, hsa_circ_0008675, hsa_circ_0082689, hsa_circ_0082688, hsa_circ_0010932, hsa_circ_0002473 and hsa_circ_0044235 in peripheral blood were determined by quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR). For hsa_circ_0044235, only one abnormal expression circRNAs in peripheral blood was selected as a targeted circRNA to explore the diagnostic value for RA. Our work demonstrated that the hsa_circ_0044235 in peripheral blood was decreased significantly in RA patients. The hsa_circ_0044235 in peripheral blood from RA patients did not correlate with C‐reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti‐citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) or disease activity score 28 (DAS28). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis suggested that the hsa_circ_0044235 in peripheral blood has significant value in the diagnosis of RA. The risk score based on hsa_circ_0044235 in peripheral blood also distinguished significantly the patients with RA from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study suggests that the hsa_circ_0044235 in peripheral blood may be a potential biomarker of patients with RA.

Determination of d-amphetamine and diphenhydramine in beagle dog plasma by a 96-well formatted liquid-liquid extraction and capillary zone electrophoresis with field-amplified sample stacking

This paper describes a method for quantification of d-amphetamine and diphenhydramine in beagle dog plasma by organic solvent field-amplified sample stacking (FASS)-capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), using amlodipine as the internal standard. The separation was carried out at 25 °C in a 40.2 cm × 75 μm fused-silica capillary with an applied voltage of 20 kV using 25 mM phosphate-18.75 mM borate (pH 3.5). The detection wavelength was 200 nm. Clean-up and preconcentration of plasma biosamples were developed by 96-well formatted liquid- liquid extraction (LLE). In this study, the peak areas of d-amphetamine, diphenhydramine and amlodipine in the plasma sample increased by the factor of 48, 67 and 43 compared to the CZE without sample stacking. The method was suitably validated with respect to stability, specificity, linearity, lower limit of quantitation, accuracy, precision and extraction recovery. The calibration graph was linear from 2 to 500 ng/ml for d-amphetamine and 2-5000 ng/ml for diphenhydramine. All the validation data were within the required limits. Compared with the LC/MS/MS method that we previously established, there was no significant difference between the two methods in validation characteristics, except the LLOQs. The developed method was successfully applied to the evaluation of pharmacokinetic study of the Quick-Acting Anti-Motion Capsules (QAAMC) in beagle dogs.

Measurement of rotation speed based on double-beam self-mixing speckle interference

A rotation speed measurement based on double-beam self-mixing speckle interference is presented. The self-mixing speckle signal is analyzed by a cross-correlation algorithm. The experimental results show that, compared with the Doppler frequency shift method, the proposed method can measure high speed at a low sampling rate.

Circulating cell-free DNA and circulating tumor cells, the "liquid biopsies" in ovarian cancer

Limited understanding of ovarian cancer (OC) genome portrait has hindered the therapeutic advances. The serial monitoring of tumor genotypes is becoming increasingly attainable with circulating cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) emerging as “liquid biopsies”. They represent non-invasive biomarkers and are viable, as they can be isolated from human plasma, serum and other body fluids. Molecular characterization of circulating tumor DNA (ct-DNA) and CTCs offer unique potentials to better understand the biology of metastasis and resistance to therapies. The liquid biopsies may also give innovative insights into the process of rapid and accurate identification, resistant genetic alterations and a real time monitoring of treatment responses. In addition, liquid biopsies are shedding light on elucidating signal pathways involved in invasiveness and metastasis competence; but the detection and molecular characterization of ct-DNA and CTCs are still challenging, since they are rare, and the amount of available samples are very limited. This review will focus on the clinical potential of ct-DNA and CTCs in both the early and advanced diagnosis, prognosis, and in the identification of resistance mutations in OC.

The Nucleotide-Binding Oligomerization Domain-Like Receptor Family Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Inflammasome Regulates Bronchial Epithelial Cell Injury and Proapoptosis after Exposure to Biomass Fuel Smoke

The number of individuals in the population exposed to biomass fuel smoke (BS) is far greater than the number of cigarette smokers. About 20% of cigarette smokers develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to smoke-induced irreversible damage and sustained inflammation of the airway epithelium. However, the role of BS in COPD pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing (NLRP) 3 and caspase-1 in the bronchial epithelium from patients with COPD, and further determined the specific role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in bronchial epithelium injury using two in vitro models (BS and cigarette smoke [CS]) in the human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cell line (16HBE). After exposure to BS and CS, the release of damage-associated molecular patterns, the transcriptional and translational up-regulation of NLRP3, and the activation of caspase-1 were observed in cells at different time points. Because IL-1β secretion was dependent on the NLRP3 inflammasome, we assessed CXCL-8 production in response to smoke. Using a transwell migration assay in which 16HBE cells and human alveolar macrophages were cocultured, we showed that smoke-induced NLRP3 activation in 16HBE cells increased the migration of human alveolar macrophages. When the NLRP3 expression was silenced, the average migration distance of 16HBE was increased in scratch assay, because the activation of NLRP3 induced apoptosis by the p53-Bax mitochondrial pathway in the smoke-induced response. These results demonstrate the importance of the NLRP3 inflammasome in mediating BS- and CS-induced HBE cell damage and proapoptosis.