MicroRNA-196b regulates the homeobox B7-vascular endothelial growth factor axis in cervical cancer.

The down-regulation of microRNA-196b (miR-196b) has been reported, but its contribution to cervical cancer progression remains to be investigated. In this study, we first demonstrated that miR-196b down-regulation was significantly associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS) for cervical cancer patients treated with combined chemo-radiation. Secondly, using a tri-modal approach for target identification, we determined that homeobox-B7 (HOXB7) was a bona fide target for miR-196b, and in turn, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was a downstream transcript regulated by HOXB7.

[Roles of protease-activated receptor-1 in thrombin-induced brain injury and neurogenesis in rats].

Objective: To investigate the roles of protease-activated receptors (PARs) in thrombin-induced brain injury and neurogenesis in rats.

Methods: Ninety male SD rats were randomly assigned to receive intra-hippocampus injection of NS, thrombin or specific agonists of 3 protease-activated receptors (PAR-1, PAR-3 and PAR-4), respectively. At 1,3 and 7 d after injection, the area of the hippocampus was determined with HE staining, the density and morphology of astrocyte were detected with GFAP staining, degenerated neurons were detected with Fluoro-Jade C staining, and the neurogenesis was examined with DCX staining.

Comorbidity and prognosis in head and neck cancers: Differences by subsite, stage, and human papillomavirus status.

Background: The prognostic utility of comorbidity on head and neck cancer may differ by subsite, stage, and human papillomavirus (HPV) status.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 4953 patients with head and neck cancer for comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI]), smoking, and alcohol history. Multivariate proportional hazards assessed the association of CCI with survival.

Effect of autophagy inhibition on chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cells.

Chemotherapy is one of the main methods of cancer treatment and is known to induce autophagy in cancer cells. The main mechanism of chemotherapeutic agents is to promote apoptosis. In the process of chemotherapy, there is a unique association between autophagy and apoptosis.

[Effects of different processing methods on five main chemical constituents of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. studied by high performance liquid chromatography].

A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of neomangiferin, mangiferin, timosaponin B III, anemarrhenasaponin I and timosaponin A III in the products of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. processed by different methods. By comparing and analyzing the variation of the contents of the five components, the effects of processing on chemical constituents of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge.

Intermittent aeration strategy to enhance organics and nitrogen removal in subsurface flow constructed wetlands.

In this study, an intermittent-aerated subsurface flow constructed wetland (SFCW) A was set up to assess its performance in decentralized rural sewage treatment. A conventional SFCW B and a subsurface wastewater infiltration system (SWIS C) were also constructed for comparison. Alternate anaerobic and aerobic conditions were well developed by intermittent aeration.

Tumor-derived exosomes and microvesicles in head and neck cancer: implications for tumor biology and biomarker discovery.

Exosomes and microvesicles (MVs) are nanometer-sized, membranous vesicles secreted from many cell types into their surrounding extracellular space and into body fluids. These two classes of extracellular vesicles are regarded as a novel mechanism through which cancer cells, including virally infected cancer cells, regulate their micro-environment via the horizontal transfer of bioactive molecules: proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids (DNA, mRNA, micro-RNAs; oncogenic cargo hence often referred to as oncosomes). In head and neck cancer (HNC), exosomes and MVs have been described in Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), as well as being positively correlated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) progression.

Lin28b promotes head and neck cancer progression via modulation of the insulin-like growth factor survival pathway.

Lin28 is a developmentally regulated RNA binding protein which has recently emerged as key regulator in the biogenesis of the let-7 micro-RNA family. While the expression of Lin28b has been linked to advanced tumor stage, the precise molecular mechanism(s) by which Lin28b drives disease progression is still being unraveled. Herein, we generated a let-7-resistant Lin28b ORF, stably expressed in the FaDu head and neck cancer (HNC) cell line.

VUV photolysis of naphthalene in indoor air: Intermediates, pathways, and health risk.

To evaluate the health risk of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis of naphthalene (NP) in indoor air, intermediates were detected by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry and proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry. Results showed that 13 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in gas phase and five semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in oil phase were the main intermediates. VUV photolysis pathways of NP can be divided into five stages including functionalization, partition, condensation, fragmentation, and mineralization.

Potentially prognostic miRNAs in HPV-associated oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: Deregulation of miRNAs is associated with almost all human malignancies. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) has a significantly more favorable outcome compared with HPV-negative OPCs; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Hence, the objectives of this study were to determine whether miRNA expression differed as a function of HPV status and to assess whether such miRNAs provide prognostic value beyond HPV status.

Combining Oxymatrine or Matrine with Lamivudine Increased Its Antireplication Effect against the Hepatitis B Virus In Vitro.

Some recent clinical reports have shown that the combination of oxymatrine, a phyto-derived drug, with lamivudine (3TC) could improve its curative effect against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, the experimental data in support of this combination strategy are lacking. In this study, we investigated the anti-HBV activity of the combination of 3TC and either oxymatrine or matrine on HepG2 2.

MicroRNA-193b enhances tumor progression via down regulation of neurofibromin 1.

Despite improvements in therapeutic approaches for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), clinical outcome has remained disappointing, with 5-year overall survival rates hovering around 40-50%, underscoring an urgent need to better understand the biological bases of this disease. We chose to address this challenge by studying the role of micro-RNAs (miRNAs) in HNSCC. MiR-193b was identified as an over-expressed miRNA from global miRNA profiling studies previously conducted in our lab, and confirmed in HNSCC cell lines.

Inflammatory cytokine response to ambient particles varies due to field collection procedures.

In vitro assays of biological activity induced by particulate matter (PM) are a tool for investigating mechanisms of PM health effects. They have potential application to exposure assessment in chronic disease epidemiology. However, there has been little reporting of the impact of real-world PM collection techniques on assay results.

Deintensification candidate subgroups in human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancer according to minimal risk of distant metastasis.

Purpose: To define human papillomavirus (HPV) -positive oropharyngeal cancers (OPC) suitable for treatment deintensification according to low risk of distant metastasis (DM).

Patients And Methods: OPC treated with radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) from 2001 to 2009 were included. Outcomes were compared for HPV-positive versus HPV-negative patients.

Three-dimensional ultrasound appearance of pelvic floor in nulliparous women and pelvic organ prolapse women.

The present study investigated the morphology and structure of pelvic floor in 50 nulliparous and 50 pelvic organ prolapse (POP) women using translabial three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. The levator hiatus in POP women was significantly different from that in nullipara women. In POP women, the size of pelvic floor increased, with a circular shape, and the axis of levator hiatus departed from the normal position in 36 (72%) cases.

p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism, HPV status and initiation, progression, and development of cervical cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cervical cancer develops through progression from normal cervical epithelium through squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) to invasive cancer. Cervical cancer is associated with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV E6 oncoprotein binds to the tumor suppressor gene product p53, promoting its degradation; the Arg allele of p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism binds more ardently with HPV E6 than the Pro variant.

Photocatalytic oxidation of indoor toluene: process risk analysis and influence of relative humidity, photocatalysts, and VUV irradiation.

Concentrations of 13 gaseous intermediates in photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of toluene in indoor air were determined in real-time by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry and desorption intensities of 7 adsorbed intermediates on the surface of photocatalysts were detected by temperature-programmed desorption-mass spectrometry. Effects of relative humidity (RH), photocatalysts, and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation on the distribution and category of the intermediates and health risk influence index (η) were investigated. RH enhances the formation rate of hydroxide radicals, leading to more intermediates with higher oxidation states in gas phase.

Functional metagenomics of Escherichia coli O157:H7 interactions with spinach indigenous microorganisms during biofilm formation.

The increase in foodborne outbreaks worldwide attributed to fresh fruit and vegetables suggests that produce may serve as an ecological niche for enteric pathogens. Here we examined the interaction of E. coli O157:H7 (EcO157) with spinach leaf indigenous microorganisms during co-colonization and establishment of a mixed biofilm on a stainless steel surface.

A spectrum of basaloid morphology in a subset of EBV-associated "lymphoepithelial carcinomas" of major salivary glands.

Nasopharyngeal carcinomas of the undifferentiated or lymphoepithelial type are most commonly seen in South East Asians. Identical tumors have also been described at a variety of other sites including lung, skin and salivary gland and have been referred to by a number of names including lymphoepithelial carcinoma (LEC). LECs of major salivary gland are extremely rare.

Potentially novel candidate biomarkers for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma identified using an integrated cell line-based discovery strategy.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) can arise from the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx or hypopharynx, and is the sixth leading cancer by incidence worldwide. The 5-year survival rate of HNSCC patients remains static at 40-60%. Hence, biomarkers which can improve detection of HNSCC or early recurrences should improve clinical outcome.

Natural course of distant metastases following radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer.

Objectives: To describe the natural course of distant metastases (DMs) following radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in HPV(+) oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC).

Methods: OPC treated with RT/CRT from 1/1/2000 to 5/31/2010 were reviewed. The natural course of DM were compared between HPV(+) and HPV(-) cohorts.

Multi-objective dynamic population shuffled frog-leaping biclustering of microarray data.

Background: Multi-objective optimization (MOO) involves optimization problems with multiple objectives. Generally, theose objectives is used to estimate very different aspects of the solutions, and these aspects are often in conflict with each other. MOO first gets a Pareto set, and then looks for both commonality and systematic variations across the set.