Stromal Gli signaling regulates the activity and differentiation of prostate stem and progenitor cells.

Interactions between cells in the stroma and epithelium facilitate prostate stem cell activity and tissue regeneration capacity. Numerous molecular signal transduction pathways, including the induction of sonic hedgehog (Shh) to activate the Gli transcription factors, are known to mediate the cross-talk of these two cellular compartments. However, the details of how these signaling pathways regulate prostate stem and progenitor cell activity remain elusive.

Enrichment of Female Germline Stem Cells from Mouse Ovaries Using the Differential Adhesion Method.

Background/aims: The isolation and establishment of female germline stem cells (FGSCs) is controversial because of questions regarding the reliability and stability of the isolation method using antibody targeting mouse vasa homologue (MVH), and the molecular mechanism of FGSCs self-renewal remains unclear. Thus, there needs to be a simple and reliable method for sorting FGSCs to study them.

Methods: We applied the differential adhesion method to enrich FGSCs (DA-FGSCs) from mouse ovaries.

Genomic structure and molecular characterization of Toll-like receptors 1 and 2 from golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and their expression response to three types of pathogen-associated molecular patterns.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an essential role in the immune response. Here two Toll-like receptors from golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus), ToTLR1 and ToTLR2, were characterized, the full-length cDNAs were 3126 bp and 7430 bp, and the deduced proteins consisted of 801 and 825 amino acids, respectively. ToTLR1 and ToTLR2 both contained the typical TLR domain architecture including signal peptide, leucine rich repeat (LRR), C-terminal LRR domain at the extracellular region and Toll/interleukin (IL)-1 receptor (TIR) domain in the cytoplasmic region.

MicroRNA-185 inhibits the growth and proliferation of osteoblasts in fracture healing by targeting PTH gene through down-regulating Wnt/β -catenin axis: In an animal experiment.

Fracture healing is a repair process of a mechanical discontinuity loss of force transmission, and pathological mobility of bone. Increasing evidence suggests that microRNA (miRNA) could regulate chondrocyte, osteoblast, and osteoclast differentiation and function, indicating miRNA as key regulators of bone formation, resorption, remodeling, and repair. Hence, during this study, we established a right femur fracture mouse model to explore the effect microRNA-185 (miR-185) has on osteoblasts in mice during fracture healing and its underlying mechanism.

Structure and mechanism of mitochondrial electron transport chain.

Respiration is one of the most vital and basic features of living organisms. In mammals, respiration is accomplished by respiratory chain complexes located on the mitochondrial inner membrane. In the past century, scientists put tremendous efforts in understanding these complexes, but failed to solve the high resolution structure until recently.

The serum level of Dickkopf-1 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is an endogenous inhibitor of canonical Wnt pathway that was implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the serum levels of DKK-1 in RA were inconsistent among studies. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the relationship between serum DKK-1 levels and RA.

Methods: PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were comprehensively retrieved till 1 January 2018 for pertinent studies.

Cardiomyocyte-targeted and 17β-estradiol-loaded acoustic nanoprobes as a theranostic platform for cardiac hypertrophy.

Background: Theranostic perfluorocarbon nanoprobes have recently attracted attention due to their fascinating versatility in integrating diagnostics and therapeutics into a single system. Furthermore, although 17β-estradiol (E2) is a potential anti-hypertrophic drug, it has severe non-specific adverse effects in various organs. Therefore, we have developed cardiomyocyte-targeted theranostic nanoprobes to achieve concurrent targeted imaging and treatment of cardiac hypertrophy.

CaMKII (Ca/Calmodulin-Dependent Kinase II) in Mitochondria of Smooth Muscle Cells Controls Mitochondrial Mobility, Migration, and Neointima Formation.

Objective: The main objective of this study is to define the mechanisms by which mitochondria control vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration and impact neointimal hyperplasia.

Approach And Results: The multifunctional CaMKII (Ca/calmodulin-dependent kinase II) in the mitochondrial matrix of VSMC drove a feed-forward circuit with the mitochondrial Ca uniporter (MCU) to promote matrix Ca influx. MCU was necessary for the activation of mitochondrial CaMKII (mtCaMKII), whereas mtCaMKII phosphorylated MCU at the regulatory site S92 that promotes Ca entry.

Cell-penetrating Peptide-modified Targeted Drug-loaded Phase-transformation Lipid Nanoparticles Combined with Low-intensity Focused Ultrasound for Precision Theranostics against Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Prepare a multifunctional ultrasound molecular probe, hyaluronic acid-mediated cell-penetrating peptide-modified 10-hydroxycamptothecin-loaded phase-transformation lipid nanoparticles (HA/CPPs-10-HCPT-NPs), and to combine HA/CPPs-10-HCPT-NPs with low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) for precision theranostics against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HA/CPPs-10-HCPT-NPs were prepared using thin-film dispersion, ultrasound emulsification, and electrostatic effects. HA/CPPs-10-HCPT-NPs were characterized for particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency and drug-loading efficiency.

Association between TAp73, p53 and VASH1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma.

TAp73 and p53 are involved in regulating tumor angiogenesis and vasohibin-1 (VASH1) is an anti-angiogenic factor. Whether TAp73 regulates angiogenesis positively or negatively is controversial. The status of P53 may determine the effect of TAp73 on angiogenesis.

Dickkopf-1 in ankylosing spondylitis: Review and meta-analysis.

Background: Current findings regarding serum Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) concentration in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have proven inconsistent. This meta-analysis was performed to provide a better understanding of serum DKK-1 and AS.

Methods: Online electronic databases were used to retrieve all relevant articles published before November 2017.

Unifying Optical Selection Rules for Excitons in Two Dimensions: Band Topology and Winding Numbers.

We show that band topology can dramatically change the photophysics of two-dimensional semiconductors. For systems in which states near the band extrema are of multicomponent character, the spinors describing these components (pseudospins) can pick up nonzero winding numbers around the extremal k point. In these systems, we find that the strength and required light polarization of an excitonic optical transition are dictated by the optical matrix element winding number, a unique and heretofore unrecognized topological characteristic.

Association of TLR7 gene copy number variations with ankylosing spondylitis in a Chinese population: a case control study.

Objectives: To explore the association of TLR7 gene copy number variations (CNVs) with the susceptibility of ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: The case control study was performed in 649 Chinese Han patients with AS and 628 healthy controls. The copy numbers of TLR7 gene (2 fragments) were measured by AccuCopyTM methods.

Modulation of electronic and magnetic properties in InSe nanoribbons: edge effect.

Quite recently, the two-dimensional (2D) InSe nanosheet has become a hot material with great promise for advanced functional nano-devices. In this work, for the first time, we perform first-principles calculations on the structural, electronic, magnetic and transport properties of 1D InSe nanoribbons with/without hydrogen or halogen saturation. We find that armchair ribbons, with various edges and distortions, are all nonmagnetic semiconductors, with a direct bandgap of 1.

Effect of lactobacillus strains on phenolic profile, color attributes and antioxidant activities of lactic-acid-fermented mulberry juice.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains on color properties, phenolic profile and antioxidant activities of mulberry juice. Mulberry juice was separately fermented at 37 °C for 36 h using Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus paracasei. The results showed that lactic acid fermentation impacted on the color of the juice.

Design, Synthesis, and Antitobacco Mosaic Virus Activity of Water-Soluble Chiral Quaternary Ammonium Salts of Phenanthroindolizidines Alkaloids.

To study the influence of the substituent at the N-10 position on antiviral activity, the chiral quaternary ammonium salt derivatives of R- and S-tylophorine were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for antiviral activity against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The bioassay results indicated that most of the designed structural analogues showed good in vivo anti-TMV activity, among which propargyl quaternary ammonium salt compound S-7b showed the best anti-TMV activities (80.5%, 77.

Screen Targeting Lung and Prostate Cancer Oncogene Identifies Novel Inhibitors of RGS17 and Problematic Chemical Substructures.

Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins temporally regulate heterotrimeric G protein signaling cascades elicited by G protein-coupled receptor activation and thus are essential for cell homeostasis. The dysregulation of RGS protein expression has been linked to several pathologies, spurring discovery efforts to identify small-molecule inhibitors of these proteins. Presented here are the results of a high-throughput screening (HTS) campaign targeting RGS17, an RGS protein reported to be inappropriately upregulated in several cancers.

Scaffold-free generation of uniform adipose spheroids for metabolism research and drug discovery.

Adipose tissue dysfunction is critical to the development of type II diabetes and other metabolic diseases. While monolayer cell culture has been useful for studying fat biology, 2D culture often does not reflect the complexity of fat tissue. Animal models are also problematic in that they are expensive, time consuming, and may not completely recapitulate human biology because of species variation.

Ultrasound-mediated nanobubble destruction (UMND) facilitates the delivery of A10-3.2 aptamer targeted and siRNA-loaded cationic nanobubbles for therapy of prostate cancer.

The Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) transcription factor is an important anti-tumor target. A novel targeted ultrasound (US)-sensitive nanobubble that is likely to make use of the physical energy of US exposure for the improvement of delivery efficacy to target tumors and specifically silence FoxM1 expression appears as among the most potential nanocarriers in respect of drug delivery. In this study, we synthesized a promising anti-tumor targeted FoxM1 siRNA-loaded cationic nanobubbles (CNBs) conjugated with an A10-3.

A study of the influence of regional environmental expenditure on air quality in China: the effectiveness of environmental policy.

Based on the panel data model, data on environmental expenditures, the air quality index, economic aggregates, industrial structures, etc., of seven seriously polluted cities in China, from the period 2007-2015, were collected, and this paper estimates the general relationship between environmental expenditures and the air quality index. Besides, the impact of the fuel tax policy on air quality as well as on the relationship between environmental expenditure and the air quality index is tested using the method of regression discontinuity.

Efficacy and safety of tocilizumab with inhibition of interleukin-6 in adult-onset Still's disease: A meta-analysis.

Objectives: Tocilizumab (TCZ) is the only available biologics inhibiting interleukin-6 presently, and emerging evidences have figured that elevated serum level of interleukin-6 is a crucial link of the pathogenesis of adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). However, evidence about the efficacy and safety of TCZ in AOSD with strong power is still scarce. Thus, this meta-analysis was conducted to synthetically assess the efficacy and safety of TCZ on AOSD.

Smoking Cessation Benefit Utilization: Comparing Methodologies for Measurement using New York State's Medicaid Data.

Introduction: Pharmacotherapy and counseling for tobacco cessation are evidence-based methods that increase successful smoking cessation attempts. Medicaid programs are required to provide coverage for smoking cessation services. Monitoring utilization is desirable for program evaluation and quality improvement.

Rational dose of insecticide chlorantraniliprole displays a transient impact on the microbial metabolic functions and bacterial community in a silty-loam paddy soil.

Chlorantraniliprole (CAP) is a newly developed insecticide widely used in rice fields in China. There have been few studies regarding its effects on soil microbial functional diversity and bacterial community composition. An 85-day microcosm experiment was performed to reveal the dissipation dynamics of CAP under different application doses in a silty-loam paddy soil in subtropical China.