Circ ubiquitin-like-containing plant homeodomain and RING finger domains protein 1 increases the stability of G9a and ubiquitin-like-containing plant homeodomain and RING finger domains protein 1 messenger RNA through recruiting eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3, transcriptionally inhibiting PDZ and homeobox protein domain protein 1, and promotes the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Aim: Circular ubiquitin-like, containing PHD and ring finger domains 1 (circUHRF1) is aberrantly upregulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. The present study aimed at elucidating the interactive function of circUHRF1-G9a-ubiquitin-like, containing PHD and ring finger domains 1 (UHRF1) mRNA-eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3 (EIF4A3)-PDZ and LIM domain 1 (PDLIM1) network in HCC.

Perioperative intravenous S(+)-ketamine for acute postoperative pain in adults: study protocol for a multicentre, randomised, open-label, positive-controlled, pragmatic clinical trial (SAFE-SK-A trial).

Introduction: Postoperative pain remains incompletely controlled for decades. Recently, multimodal analgesia is emerging as a potential approach in the management of postoperative pain. Therein, S(+)-ketamine is appealing as an adjuvant drug in multimodal analgesia due to its unique pharmacological advantages.

Ablation of PKM2 ameliorated ER stress-induced apoptosis and associated inflammation response in IL-1β-treated chondrocytes via blocking Rspo2-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the related apoptosis and inflammation damage play key roles in osteoarthritis development. The aim of the present work was to investigate the exact role and potential underlying mechanism of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in rat chondrocytes exposed to interleukin-Iβ (IL-1β). We observed that IL-1β stimulation resulted in an apparent enhancement in PKM2 expression.

MiR-22 restrains proliferation of rheumatoid arthritis by targeting IL6R and may be concerned with the suppression of NF-κB pathway.

It has demonstrated that miR-22 overexpression can suppress the inflammation process of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in synoviocytes. But, the underlying mechanism of miR-22 expression in regulating RA is still not well illustrated. In this study, we investigated the functional role and underlying mechanism of miR-22 in regulating RA.

Low-Threshold Organic Lasers Based on Single-Crystalline Microribbons of Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogens.

Solid-state lasers (SSLs) play an important role in developing optoelectronic devices, optical communication, and modern medicine fields. As compared with inorganic SSLs, the electrically pumped organic SSLs (OSSLs) still remain unrealized because of the high lasing threshold and low carrier mobility. Herein, we first demonstrate the laser action at ∼520 nm based on the self-assembled single-crystalline organic microribbons of the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules of 1,4-bis(( E)-4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)styryl)-2,5-dimethoxybenzene (TPDSB).

Fluorescence/phosphorescence-conversion in self-assembled organic microcrystals.

Organic molecules of DIDB can inherently assemble into fluorescent green-emissive microwires with a low photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQY) of 1.0%. Impressively, by doping DIDB into the nonluminous 4-iodobenzonitrile crystal matrix with a molar ratio of 1 : 100, phosphorescent yellow-emissive microwires with a much higher PLQY of 50.

Controlled synthesis of organic single-crystalline nanowires via the synergy approach of the bottom-up/top-down processes.

The controlled fabrication of organic single-crystalline nanowires (OSCNWs) with a uniform diameter in the nanoscale via the bottom-up approach, which is just based on weak intermolecular interaction, is a great challenge. Herein, we utilize the synergy approach of the bottom-up and the top-down processes to fabricate OSCNWs with diameters of 120 ± 10 nm through stepwise evolution processes. Specifically, the evolution processes vary from the self-assembled organic micro-rods with a quadrangular pyramid-like end-structure bounded with {111}s and {11-1}s crystal planes to the "top-down" synthesized organic micro-rods with the flat cross-sectional {002}s plane, to the organic micro-tubes with a wall thickness of ∼115 nm, and finally to the organic nanowires.

Comparison of narrow-band imaging and confocal laser endomicroscopy for the detection of neoplasia in Barrett's esophagus: A meta-analysis.

Aims: Barrett's esophagus (BE) predisposes to the development of esophageal neoplasia, including high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed to assess the accuracy of within-patient comparisons of narrow band imaging (NBI) and confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) for diagnosis of HGD/EAC in patients with BE.

Methods: The following databases were examined up to April 2016 without language restriction: PubMed, Embase, Medline, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library.

Controllable Synthesis of Organic Microcrystals with Tunable Emission Color and Morphology Based on Molecular Packing Mode.

Organic microcrystals are of essential importance for high fluorescence efficiency, ordered molecular packing mode, minimized defects, and smooth shapes, which are extensively applied in organic optoelectronics. The molecular packing mode significantly influences the optical/electrical properties of organic microcrystals, which makes the controllable preparation of organic microcrystals with desired molecular packing mode extremely important. In the study, yellow-emissive α phase organic microcrystals with rectangular morphology and green-emissive β phase perylene microcrystals with rhombic morphology are separately prepared by simply controlling the solution concentration.

[An improved method for stereotactic location of the supraoptic nucleus with oblique stereotactic puncture in rats].

Objective: To establish an improved method for stereotactic location of the supraoptic nucleus in rats.

Methods: Twenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into experimental group (12 rats) and control group (12 rats) for oblique (20° to the left) stereotactic puncture (OSP group) and vertical stereotactic puncture (VSP group), respectively, both targeting the supraoptic nucleus (SON). The surgical data and postoperative (within 24) mortality of the rats were compared between the two groups.

White-Emissive Self-Assembled Organic Microcrystals.

Organic semiconductor micro-/nanocrystals with regular shapes have been demonstrated for many applications, such as organic field-effect transistors, organic waveguide devices, organic solid-state lasers, and therefore are inherently ideal building blocks for the key circuits in the next generation of miniaturized optoelectronics. In the study, blue-emissive organic molecules of 1,4-bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene (o-MSB) can assemble into rectangular microcrystals at a large scale via the room-temperature solution-exchange method. Because of the Förster resonance energy transfer, the energy of the absorbed photons by the host matrix organic molecules of o-MSB can directly transfer to the dopant organic molecules of tetracene or 1,2:8,9-dibenzopentacene (DBP), which then emit visible photons in different colors from blue to green, and to yellow.

A meta-analysis of narrow band imaging for the diagnosis and therapeutic outcome of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Objectives: To assess the additional detection rate (ADR) of within-patient comparisons of Narrow band imaging (NBI) and white light cystoscopy (WLC) for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) detection and compare the impact of NBI and WLC on bladder cancer recurrence risk.

Methods: We searched relevant studies from PubMed, Embase, Medline, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library database for all articles in English published beforeJuly26th, 2016. Pooled ADR, diagnostic accuracy, relative risk (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Development and Validation of a Risk Score for Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: A Prospective Cohort Study in China.

Background: Although several risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) have been identified, early detection of AKI in acute decompensated heart failure patients remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a risk score for early prediction of AKI in acute decompensated heart failure patients.

Methods And Results: A total of 676 consecutive acute decompensated heart failure participants were prospectively enrolled from 6 regional central hospitals.

Surgical site infection after laparoscopic and open appendectomy: a multicenter large consecutive cohort study.

Background: Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has been rapidly applied worldwide recently. The issue of surgical site infection (SSI) after appendectomy needs to be re-investigated and analyzed along with this trend. This study aimed to identify risk factors of SSI after appendectomy in recent years.

Seasonal dynamics of wintering waterbirds in two shallow lakes along Yangtze River in Anhui Province.

The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway. With increasing fishery practices in recent years, however, the wetlands have deteriorated significantly and now threaten wintering waterbirds. To gain insight into the influence of deteriorating wetlands on waterbirds, we conducted a survey of wintering waterbird species, population size, and distribution across 11 belt transects in Caizi Lake and Shengjin Lake, two shallow lakes along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province from November 2007-April 2008 and from November 2008-April 2009, respectively.

Complete sequence and gene organization of the mitochondrial genome of scaly-sided merganser (Mergus squamatus) and phylogeny of some Anatidae species.

The scaly-sided merganser (Mergus squamatus) is an endangered bird species on the IUCN Red List with the estimated global population of less than 2,500 individuals at present. In the present study, we studied the complete mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) and the phylogenetic of M. squamatus by PCR amplification and GenBank data.

Thrombin-like enzymes from venom gland of Deinagkistrodon acutus: cDNA cloning, mechanism of diversity and phylogenetic tree construction.

Aim: To clone cDNAs of thrombin-like enzymes (TLEs) from venom gland of Deinagkistrodon acutus and analyze the mechanisms by which their structural diversity arose.

Methods: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and gene cloning techniques were used, and the cloned sequences were analyzed by using bioinformatics tools.

Results: Novel cDNAs of snake venom TLEs were cloned.