Comprehensive gene and microRNA expression profiling reveals the crucial role of hsa-let-7i and its target genes in colorectal cancer metastasis.

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that miRNAs play important roles in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, whether miRNAs are associated with the metastasis of CRC remains largely unexplored. The aim of the current study is to profile miRNAs in different CRC metastatic cell lines to identify the biomarkers in CRC metastasis.

Molecular regulation of the intestinal epithelial barrier: implication in human diseases.

Intestinal barrier dysfunction is implicated in the development of various clinical diseases. While the study of intestinal barrier function has traditionally emphasized the impact of intestinal microflora and bacteria, the rapid development of molecular and cellular techniques has helped the recent transition of the field to the molecular regulation of the intestinal epithelial barrier. In this review, we summarized several aspects of recent progress on the molecular regulation of the intestinal epithelial barrier, ranging from the extrinsic factors such as probiotics, intrinsic protein effectors including the tight junction proteins, intestinal alkaline phosphatase and protein phosphatase 2A, to intestinal cell subsets such as intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes and intestinal stem cells.

Transcription factor IRF8 directs a silencing programme for TH17 cell differentiation.

T(H)17 cells are recognized as a unique subset of T helper cells that have critical roles in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity and tissue inflammation. Although RORγt is necessary for the generation of T(H)17 cells, the molecular mechanisms underlying the functional diversity of T(H)17 cells are not fully understood. Here we show that a member of interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family of transcription factors, IRF8, has a critical role in silencing T(H)17-cell differentiation.

Spatial quantizing a subwavelength slit to upgrade its optical properties.

We propose a spatial quantization method to discretize a single subwavelength metallic slit into identical unit chains and investigate its transmission properties. Finite-difference time-domain simulations suggest that the formation of multiple fundamental plasmon resonances and their mutual coupling processes play dominant roles in the quantized structure, which eventually alters the surface plasmon energy propagation into a hopping style. Through adjusting the groove geometrical parameters, the optical transmission can be further increased by as high as about 1000% or suppressed to zero when compared with a corresponding untreated slit.

First-principles studies of liquid lithium under pressure.

Effects of compression on the structural and electronic properties of liquid lithium are investigated with first-principles molecular dynamics calculations. Within a large pressure range up to 60 GPa, along isotherms from 600 to 1000 K, several structural transformations were found. The liquid structures at high pressure are found to be not sensitive to the temperature within this range.

Nuclear factor-κB is involved in the phenotype loss of parvalbumin-interneurons in vitro.

The phenotype loss of parvalbumin-containing interneurons, characterized by decreased parvalbumin expression, has been observed in schizophrenic patients. Overproduction of intraneuronal reactive oxygen species leads to such a phenotype loss. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation is both a target and a regulator of intracellular oxidative stress response, suggesting its involvement in the parvalbumin regulation.

[Serum lipids of rural residents in Ningxia Province].

Objective: To investigate the levels of serum lipids and the prevalence of abnormal serum lipids among native rural residents in Ningxia Province.

Methods: Serum lipid data of 1434 native rural residents aged 20 to 74 and lived in Guyuan City and Wuzhong City were collect by random cluster sampling method. The participants were assigned by age into three groups: below 30, 30 - 50 and over 50 years old.

[Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among rural adult residents in Ningxia].

Objective: To describe the prevalence, distribution, current status awareness, and control of hypertension among rural adult residents in Ningxia.

Methods: Stratified cluster sampling methods was used and the participants were interviewed by trained health workers under a structured questionnaire. The number of research subjects was 3324.

Expression of the Lactobacillus plantarum surface layer MIMP protein protected NCM460 epithelial cells from enteroinvasive Escherichia coli infection.

Our previous studies demonstrated that the micro integral membrane protein (MIMP) located within the integral membrane protein of Lactobacillus plantarum CGMCC 1258 protected the intestinal barrier from injury. To further analyze the protective effects conferred to intestinal epithelial cells by MIMP, we established transient MIMP-expressing NCM460 cells (NCM460/MIMP) as a means of assessing their susceptibility to infection. We constructed a recombinant eukaryotic expression vector using pcDNA3.

Substance P immunoreactive nerve fibres are related to gastric cancer differentiation status and could promote proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells.

Tachykinins such as SP (substance P) may be involved in the progression of gastric adenocarcinoma through binding to NK-1 receptor. However, the existence and relationship between SP and gastric cancer progression and differentiation remained unknown. We have studied the NK-1 receptor in human gastric cancer tissue and MKN45 cell line and found SP-containing nerve fibres in human gastric cancer and found that the amounts of SP-positive nerves were related to gastric cancer differentiation.

Role of ZNRD1 (zinc ribbon domain-containing 1) in angiogenesis of leukaemia cells.

Here, we have first investigated the roles of ZNRD1 in angiogenesis of leukaemia. The leukaemia cell line K562 was transfected with the vector that included the full-length cDNA of ZNRD1, then the growth and angiogenesis of cells were detected. Up-regulation of ZNRD1 could significantly inhibit the growth of cells, reduce tumour microvessel densities and inhibit the VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) production.

[Study on effects of fertilizer on polysaccharide and flavonoids of Radix Hedysari in different growth stage].

Objective: To study the effects of fertilizer on polysaccharide content, flavonoids content and output of Radix Hedysari in different growth stage.

Methods: The content of polysaccharide and flavonoids in different part of Radix Hedysari was examined in different growth stage by using spectrophotometric method.

Results: Fertilizer could improve polysaccharide content of Radix Hedysari aerial part and total flavonoids content of root, increase polysaccharide accumulation amount of Radix Hedysari root in middle and late growth stage.

The relationship between early embryo development and tumourigenesis.

With the recent substantial progress in developmental biology and cancer biology, the similarities between early embryo development and tumourigenesis, as well as the important interaction between tumours and embryos become better appreciated. In this paper, we review in detail the embryonic origin of tumour, and the similarities between early embryo development and tumourigenesis with respect to cell invasive behaviours, epigenetic regulation, gene expression, protein profiling and other important biological behaviours. Given an improved understanding of the relationship between early embryo development and tumourigenesis, now we have better and broader resources to attack cancer from the perspective of developmental biology and develop next generation of prognostic and therapeutic approaches for this devastating disease.

The malignant phenotype-associated microRNA in gastroenteric, hepatobiliary and pancreatic carcinomas.

Importance Of The Field: MicroRNA (miRNA) is a newly discovered class of small and endogenous non-coding RNAs. Many miRNAs exhibit altered expression levels in cancer, and they can affect the cancerous phenotype of malignant cells.

Areas Covered In This Review: We review the recent advances in miRNA involvement in human gastroenteric tumor and analyze the clinical and therapeutic opportunities they provide.

Facile fabrication of free-standing colloidal-crystal films by interfacial self-assembly.

This paper reports a rapid and facile method of preparing free-standing colloidal crystals from monodisperse charged polystyrene (PS) microspheres. Mixed solvents (ethanol/water) were used as the dispersion medium in the self-assembly process of colloidal crystals. By a simple "floating self-assembly" method, PS microspheres floated on the surface of liquid and self-assembled into large area of three-dimensional (3D) ordered colloidal crystals within 15 min.

[Effects of sulfur on microbial activity and community structure in a lead-polluted paddy soil].

A pot experiment was conducted to study the microbial activity and community structure in a lead-polluted paddy soil under effects of amendment with different concentration sodium thiosulfate. The amendment of the sulfur-containing substrate increased the soil oxidation-reduction potential and respiration rate, promoted the growth of soil sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, and induced some changes in soil microbial community structure. The clone sequencing indicated that the specific bands of soil microbes in sodium thiosulfate treatments had very high similarity to Bateroidetes, Thiobacillus, beta-proteobacteria, and Acidobacteria.

[Response of applying palygorskite and fertilization on growth rules of Radix Hedysari].

Objective: Study on the growth development and fertilizer requirement regularity of Radix Hedysari.

Methods: Adopted the field experiment, investigate the influence of Radix Hedysari by applying different amount of palygorskite and fertilization.

Results: The growth process of plant height and branch height of Radix Hedysari were divided into two stages, the stage from emergence to late July was fast growth phase, and the stage from late July was slow growth stage.

Superior vena cava syndrome: A rare complication of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy laser lithotripsy.

Purpose: To describe a case of acute superior vena cava syndrome during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and to review the associated clinical features, management and complications.

Clinical Features: A 34-year-old man, diagnosed as right renal calculi and nodal tachycardia, was admitted to receive percutaneous nephroscope laser lithotripsy. Shortly after stone disintegration, he suffered acute hypoxic and hypotension, and showed cyanoderma of face and chest skin, ocular proptosis, jugular filling and ventricular fibrillation.

Upregulated and downregulated proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review of proteomic profiling studies.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been a major clinical challenge due to low early diagnosis rate and poor prognosis. The aim of this systematic review was to identify differentially expressed proteins as potential high-confidence biomarkers for HCC, by validating data on differentially expressed proteins reported by studies on HCC tissues. In our studies, objectives, search strategy, study selection criteria, data elements, methods for extraction, and methods for assessing study quality were defined.

Preparation of a novel monoclonal antibody specific to DARPP-32.

DARPP-32 (dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein) is the bifunctional protein that can act as a PP1 inhibitor or a PKA inhibitor. Here we have for the first time generated a monoclonal antibody against DARPP-32. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western immunoblotting were used to screen the hybridomas.