Inhibition of SMYD2 suppresses tumor progression by down-regulating microRNA-125b and attenuates multi-drug resistance in renal cell carcinoma.

SMYD2 is a histone methyltransferase that has been reported to be an important epigenetic regulator. This study aims to investigate SMYD2 as a prognostic indicator of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and explore its role in tumorigenesis and multi-drug resistance. : Tumor specimens, clinicopathologic information, and prognostic outcomes of 186 ccRCC patients from three hospitals in China were collected for SMYD2 immunohistochemistry staining, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox proportional hazards-regression analysis.

H19 promote calcium oxalate nephrocalcinosis-induced renal tubular epithelial cell injury via a ceRNA pathway.

Background: Intrarenal calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals induce inflammation and kidney tubular cell injury, which are processes that involve TLR4/NF-κB signalling. A recent genome-wide gene expression profile analysis of Randall's plaques in CaOx stone patients revealed that the expression of the long noncoding RNA H19 was significantly upregulated. However, to date, its role in kidney CaOx stones has not been reported.

Rapid separation of Po-210 from Pb-210 based on the usage of a commercial Sr-Specific chromatographic resin.

The efficient extraction of small quantities of Po is necessary for preparing Po standard reference materials. Herein, a commercially available strontrium-specific chromatographic resin (Sr spec resin) was used to rapidly and selectively extract Po from a Pb-Bi-Po mixture, and the distribution ratios of Pb, Bi, and Po on Sr spec resin were probed using batch experiments. In contrast to Pb and Bi, Po was retained on the Sr spec cartridge in 8 M HCl and was then effectively eluted by 0.

Activity determination of Pa by means of liquid scintillation counting.

Protactinium-231 decays through a chain of daughter nuclides to stable Pb, resulting in a number of alpha and beta transitions. A method based on liquid scintillation (LS) counting was developed to determine the activity concentration of Pa. For α emissions, the corresponding LS counting efficiency was assumed to be unity.

Half-life determination and comparison of activity standards of Pa.

The results of an international comparison of activity measurements of a solution of Pa are reported and analysed. Prior to this, no known standardisation of Pa by activity measurement had been carried out. The comparison was run in 2017-2018 involving eight laboratories, and returned results with no identifiable inconsistencies between methods or laboratories.

The emerging role of the piRNA/piwi complex in cancer.

Piwi interacting RNAs (piRNAs) constitute novel small non-coding RNA molecules of approximately 24-31 nucleotides in length that often bind to members of the piwi protein family to play regulatory roles. Recently, emerging evidence suggests that in addition to the mammalian germline, piRNAs are also expressed in a tissue-specific manner in a variety of human tissues and modulate key signaling pathways at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level. In addition, a growing number of studies have shown that piRNA and PIWI proteins, which are abnormally expressed in various cancers, may serve as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for tumor diagnostics and treatment.

Pan-cancer analysis of clinical relevance of alternative splicing events in 31 human cancers.

Alternative splicing represents a critical posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, which contributes to the protein complexity and mRNA processing. Defects of alternative splicing including genetic alteration and/or altered expression of both pre-mRNA and trans-acting factors give rise to many cancers. By integrally analyzing clinical data and splicing data from TCGA and SpliceSeq databases, a number of splicing events were found clinically relevant in tumor samples.

Interfacial Engineering for High-Efficiency Nanorod Array-Structured Perovskite Solar Cells.

TiO nanorod (NR) array for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has attained great importance due to its superb power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to that of the traditional mesoporous TiO film. A TiO compact layer for the growth of TiO NR array via spin-coating cannot meet the requirements for efficient NR-based PSCs. Herein, we have developed and demonstrated the insertion of a bifunctional extrathin TiO interlayer (5 nm) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at the interface of the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)/TiO compact layer to achieve alleviated electron exchange and a reduced energetic barrier.

The Immune Checkpoint Regulator PDL1 is an Independent Prognostic Biomarker for Biochemical Recurrence in Prostate Cancer Patients Following Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy.

: The programmed death 1 (PD1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PDL1) targeted therapies have gained positive outcomes in several tumors, but the evidence of the expression and prognosis value of PD1/PDL1 in high risk prostate cancer was rare. : Immunohistochemical analysis of PDL1/PD1 expression by a validated antibody was performed in a retrospectively collected high risk prostate cancer cohort who received adjuvant hormonal therapy (AHT) after radical prostatectomy (RP). The association between PDL1/PD1 expression and prognosis was determined.

Prognostic Value of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) in Human Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is confirmed to regulate the production of nitric oxide (NO) when cells are exposed to external stimulus. Recent publications revealed that overexpression of iNOS predicted poor clinical outcomes for patients with malignant cancers, e.g.

Ethanol treatment improves the sensory quality of cherry tomatoes stored at room temperature.

The effects of ethanol treatment on quality characteristics of cherry tomatoes were investigated over 11 days of storage at room temperature (25 °C). Results showed that sensory quality was improved after ethanol treatment, with redder, softer fruits at the edible stage (11 days) compared with control fruit. In addition, the contents of ascorbic acid, sucrose and fructose were elevated after ethanol treatment as well as the concentration of 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one.

Pyridine-Functionalized Fullerene Electron Transport Layer for Efficient Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

In regular perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the commonly used electron transport layer (ETL) is titanium oxide (TiO). Nevertheless, the preparation of a high-quality TiO ETL demands an elevated-temperature sintering procedure, unfavorable for fabrication of PSCs on flexible substrates. Besides, TiO-based devices often suffer from notorious photocurrent hysteresis and serious light soaking instability, limiting their potential commercialization.

Overexpression of FBR41 enhances resistance to sphinganine analog mycotoxin-induced cell death and Alternaria stem canker in tomato.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) and Alternaria alternate f. sp. lycopersici (AAL)-toxin are classified as sphinganine analog mycotoxins (SAMTs), which induce programmed cell death (PCD) in plants and pose health threat to humans who consume the contaminated crop products.

Pioglitazone decreased renal calcium oxalate crystal formation by suppressing M1 macrophage polarization via the PPAR-γ-miR-23 axis.

Interaction of pioglitazone (PGZ) and macrophages (Mps) in renal crystal formation remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the possible mechanisms involved with Mps of PGZ in suppressing renal crystal formation. Crystal formation in the mouse kidney was detected using polarized light optical microscopy and Pizzolato staining.

Regulatory Network of Two Tumor-Suppressive Noncoding RNAs Interferes with the Growth and Metastasis of Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to function as pivotal regulators in the carcinogenesis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the functions and underlying mechanisms of most ncRNAs in RCC are still elusive, and the crosstalks of different layers of ncRNAs are seldom reported. Here we showed that miR-124 and maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) were both significantly reduced in RCC, and combined expression of miR-124 and MEG3 emerged as an independent prognostic factor in our RCC cohort.

LncRNA BLACAT1 May Serve as a Prognostic Predictor in Cancer: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis.

Background: As a newly discovered lncRNA, bladder cancer-associated transcript 1 (BLACAT1) has been reported to correlate with poor clinical outcomes in several different cancers. This study aimed to evaluate its generalized predictive value for cancer prognosis.

Materials And Methods: We thoroughly searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for eligible studies published until November 11, 2018, in which the relationship between BLACAT1 expression and cancer prognosis was explored.

A further study of pyrolysis of carbon fibre-epoxy composite from hydrogen tank: Search optimization for kinetic parameters via a Shuffled Complex Evolution.

The study of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is currently one of the popular research topics. However, a vital issue for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is the hydrogen tank safety when hydrogen tank catch fires. In this paper, the carbon fibre-epoxy composite from hydrogen tank was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis.

Functionalization of endovascular devices with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for interventional cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

Presently, cardiovascular interventions such as stent deployment and balloon angioplasty are performed under x-ray guidance. However, x-ray fluoroscopy has poor soft tissue contrast and is limited by imaging in a single plane, resulting in imprecise navigation of endovascular instruments. Moreover, x-ray fluoroscopy exposes patients to ionizing radiation and iodinated contrast agents.

Mesenchymal stem cell‑derived extracellular vesicles promote the in vitro proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells through the activation of the ERK pathway.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated to be involved in tumor progression and the modulation of the tumor microenvironment, partly through their secretome. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous nanovesicles secreted by multiple types of cells and have been demonstrated to mediate intercellular communication in both physiological and pathological conditions. However, numerous questions still remain regarding the underlying mechanisms and functional consequences of these interactions.

Optimization of P2Y Antagonist Ethyl 6-(4-((Benzylsulfonyl)carbamoyl)piperidin-1-yl)-5-cyano-2-methylnicotinate (AZD1283) Led to the Discovery of an Oral Antiplatelet Agent with Improved Druglike Properties.

P2Y antagonists are widely used as antiplatelet agents for the prevention and treatment of arterial thrombosis. Based on the scaffold of a known P2Y antagonist AZD1283, a series of novel bicyclic pyridine derivatives were designed and synthesized. The cyclization of the ester substituent on the pyridine ring to the ortho-methyl group led to lactone analogues of AZD1283 that showed significantly enhanced metabolic stability in subsequent structure-pharmacokinetic relationship studies.

Structure-activity study of fluorine or chlorine-substituted cinnamic acid derivatives with tertiary amine side chain in acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition.

In this study, a series of new fluorine or chlorine-substituted cinnamic acid derivatives that contain tertiary amine side chain were designed, synthesized, and evaluated in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition. The results show that almost all the derivatives containing tertiary amine side chain (compounds 4a-9d) exhibit moderate or potent activity in AChE inhibition. By contrast, their parent compounds (compounds 3a-3f) in the absence of tertiary amine moitery exhibit poor inhibitory activity against AChE.

Biological and Psychological Perspectives of Resilience: Is It Possible to Improve Stress Resistance?

The term "resilience" refers to the ability to adapt successfully to stress, trauma and adversity, enabling individuals to avoid stress-induced mental disorders such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. Here, we review evidence from both animal models and humans that is increasingly revealing the neurophysiological and neuropsychological mechanisms that underlie stress susceptibility, as well as active mechanisms underlying the resilience phenotype. Ultimately, this growing understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of resilience should result in the development of novel interventions that specifically target neural circuitry and brain areas that enhance resilience and lead to more effective treatments for stress-induced disorders.

Prognostic significance of six clinicopathological features for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Identifying patients with high risk of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy is of immense value in clinical practice. Assessment of prognostic significance of specific clinicopathological features plays an important role in surgical management after prostatectomy. The purpose of our meta-analysis was to investigate the association between the six pathological characteristics and the prognosis of prostate cancer.

A Comprehensive Survey of Immune Cytolytic Activity-Associated Gene Co-Expression Networks across 17 Tumor and Normal Tissue Types.

Cytolytic immune activity in solid tissue can be quantified by transcript levels of two genes, and , which is named the CYT score. A previous study has investigated the molecular and genetic properties of tumors associated CYT, but a systematic exploration of how co-expression networks across different tumors are shaped by anti-tumor immunity is lacking. Here, we examined the connectivity and biological themes of CYT-associated modules in gene co-expression networks of 14 tumor and 3 matched normal tissues constructed from the RNA-Seq data of the "The Cancer Genome Atlas" project.

Ascorbic Acid Supplements and Kidney Stones Incidence Among Men and Women: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The relationship of ascorbic acid (AA) supplements and risk of kidney stones among men and women is controversial. This systematic evaluation was performed to obtain comprehensive evidence about the relationship of AA supplements and risk of kidney stones among men and women.

Material And Methods: A systematic search of Pubmed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase was performed to identify studies that exhibited the relationship of AA supplements and risk of kidney stones among men and women were published up to Mar 2017.