CD24 promotes the proliferation and inhibits the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells in vitro.

The protein CD24 is a cell surface protein that appears to function as an adhesion molecule; its expression has been shown to correlate with prognosis in a variety of tumors. Herein, we investigated the possible role and mechanism of CD24 in cervical cancer. Our results showed that CD24 was overexpressed in cervical cancer tissues compared with that in the adjacent non‑cancerous tissues by qPCR, immunohistochemistry and western blotting technologies.

Hepatoprotective Effects of Schisandra sphenanthera Extract against Lithocholic Acid-Induced Cholestasis in Male Mice Are Associated with Activation of the Pregnane X Receptor Pathway and Promotion of Liver Regeneration.

We previously reported that the ethanol extract of Schisandra sphenanthera [Wuzhi (WZ) tablet] significantly protects against acetaminophen-induced hepatoxicity. However, whether WZ exerts a protective effect against cholestasis remains unclear. In this study, the protective effect of WZ on lithocholic acid (LCA)-induced intrahepatic cholestasis in mice was characterized and the involved mechanisms were investigated.

Ultrasonic frogs call at a higher pitch in noisier ambiance.

The ultrasonic communication in Concave-eared torrent frogs is believed to be an adaptation to avoid masking by the intense low-frequency noise of the rushing stream in their habitat. The acoustic adaptation hypothesis for ultrasonic origin predicts that some organisms subjecting to persistent acoustic interference from broadband, low-frequency environmental noise, might shift their signal frequency upward into frequency bands with lower noise energy. In other words, low-frequency environmental noise might cause upward shifts of species' vocalization frequencies making their signals more conspicuous.

Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Based on Ethylene Tetra-Fluoro-Ethylene Hollow Fiber.

A new kind of hollow fiber surface plasmon resonance sensor (HF-SPRS) based on the silver-coated ethylene tetra-fluoro-ethylene (ETFE) hollow fiber (HF) is presented. The ETFE HF-SPRS is fabricated, and its performance is investigated experimentally by measuring the transmission spectra of the sensor when filled by liquid sensed media with different refractive indices (RIs). Theoretical analysis based on the ray transmission model is also taken to evaluate the sensor.

Cloning, expression, crystallization and crystallographic analysis of CouR from Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

CouR from Rhodopseudomonas palustris is a member of the MarR transcriptional regulator family. It regulates the expression of CouA and CouB, enzymes that are involved in the degradation of p-coumarate. In vivo, CouR binds to a DNA fragment containing the couAB promoter and suppresses the expression of CouA and CouB, while binding of p-coumaroyl-CoA attenuates its affinity towards DNA and activates the expression of CouA and CouB.

A Non-sulfided flower-like Ni-PTA Catalyst that Enhances the Hydrotreatment Efficiency of Plant Oil to Produce Green Diesel.

The development of a novel non-sulfided catalyst with high activity for the hydrotreatment processing of plant oils, is of high interest as a way to improve the efficient production of renewable diesel. To attempt to develop such a catalyst, we first synthesized a high activity flower-like Ni-PTA catalyst used in the hydrotreatment processes of plant oils. The obtained catalyst was characterized with SEM, EDX, HRTEM, BET, XRD, H2-TPR, XPS and TGA.

EBV-miR-BART10-3p facilitates epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promotes metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting BTRC.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is closely associated with tumorigenesis and development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. It has been recently reported that EBV encodes 44 mature miRNAs, some of which were found to promote tumor development by targeting virus-infected host genes or self-viral genes. However, few targets of EBV encoded-miRNAs that are related to NPC development have been identified to date.

Comparing the Primary and Recall Immune Response Induced by a New EV71 Vaccine Using Systems Biology Approaches.

Three inactivated EV71 whole-virus vaccines have completed Phase III clinical trials in mainland China, with high efficacy, satisfactory safety, and sustained immunogenicity. However, the molecular mechanisms how this new vaccine elicit potent immune response remain poorly understood. To characterize the primary and recall responses to EV71 vaccines, PBMC from 19 recipients before and after vaccination with EV71 vaccine are collected and their gene expression signatures after stimulation with EV71 antigen were compared.

An integrative transcriptomic analysis reveals p53 regulated miRNA, mRNA, and lncRNA networks in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

It has been reported that p53 dysfunction is closely related to the carcinogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Recently, an increasing body of evidence has indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in p53-associated signaling pathways and, in addition to mRNAs, form a complex regulation network to promote tumor occurrence and progression. The aim of this study was to elucidate the p53-regulated miRNAs, mRNAs, and lncRNAs and their regulating networks in NPC.

Identification of susceptibility genes in non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate using whole-exome sequencing.

Background: Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) is among the most common congenital malformations. The etiology of NSCL/P remains poorly characterized owing to its complex genetic heterogeneity. The objective of this study was to identify genetic variants that increase susceptibility to NSCL/P.

SLC30A10: A novel manganese transporter.

Homozygous mutations in SLC30A10 cause familial parkinsonism associated with manganese (Mn) retention. We recently identified SLC30A10 to be a cell surface-localized Mn efflux transporter and demonstrated that parkinsonism-causing mutations block its intracellular trafficking and efflux function. In C.

Concentration-dependent Effects of Nuclear Lamins on Nuclear Size in Xenopus and Mammalian Cells.

A fundamental question in cell biology concerns the regulation of organelle size. While nuclear size is exquisitely controlled in different cell types, inappropriate nuclear enlargement is used to diagnose and stage cancer. Clarifying the functional significance of nuclear size necessitates an understanding of the mechanisms and proteins that control nuclear size.

Integrating ChIP-sequencing and digital gene expression profiling to identify BRD7 downstream genes and construct their regulating network.

BRD7 is a single bromodomain-containing protein that functions as a subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex to regulate transcription. It also interacts with the well-known tumor suppressor protein p53 to trans-activate genes involved in cell cycle arrest. In this paper, we report an integrative analysis of genome-wide chromatin occupancy of BRD7 by chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling by RNA-sequencing upon the overexpression of BRD7 in human cells.

[Transfection of hypertrophic cardiac myocytes in vitro with (99)Tc(m)-labeled antisense miR208b oligonucleotide].

Objective: To test the efficiency of transfecting (99)Tc(m)-labeled anti-miR208b oligonucleotide into early hypertrophic cardiac myocytes in vitro.

Methods: The anti-oligonucleotide targeting miR208b (AMO) was synthesized and modified with LNA followed by conjugation with N-hydroxysuccinimidyl S-acetyl-meraptoacetyl triglycine (NHS-MAG3) and radiolabeling with (99)Tc(m). NHS-MAG3-LNA-AMO and labeled AMO were purified with Sep-Pak C18 column chromatography, and the former was examined for UV absorption at the 260 nm using Gene Quant DNA/RNA calculator.

Effects of Microcystin-LR Exposure on Spermiogenesis in Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Little is known about the effect on spermiogenesis induced by microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR), even though such data are very important to better elucidate reproductive health. In the current work, with the aid of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as an animal model, we investigated the defects on spermiogenesis induced by MC-LR.

Lead-Free Metamaterials with Enormous Apparent Piezoelectric Response.

Lead-free flexoelectric piezoelectric metamaterials are created by applying an asymmetric chemical reduction to Na1/2 Bi1/2 TiO3 -BaTiO3 ceramics. The reduction induces two gradient-generating mechanisms, curvature structure and chemical inhomogeneity, and enhances the flexoelectric effect. The ceramics behave like piezoelectric materials, exhibiting an enormous and high-temperature stable apparent piezoelectric response, outperforming existing lead-oxide-based piezoelectrics.

Fra-1 is upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and affects the PI3K/Akt and p53 signaling pathway in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is an aggressive disease that continues to have a daunting impact on global health. Fra-1 (FOSL1) plays important roles in oncogenesis in various malignancies. We investigated the expression of Fra-1 in gastric cancer (GC) tissues by qPCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot technologies.

Oleanolic acid attenuates obstructive cholestasis in bile duct-ligated mice, possibly via activation of NRF2-MRPs and FXR antagonism.

Obstructive cholestasis is characterized by impairment of hepatic canalicular bile efflux and there are no clinically effective drugs to cure except surgeries. Previously we revealed that oleanolic acid (OA) protected against lithocholic acid (LCA)-induced intrahepatic cholestasis in mice. Cholestasis caused by LCA is characterized by segmental bile duct obstruction, whether OA possesses the beneficial effect on completed obstructive cholestasis induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) remains unknown.

Upregulated long non-coding RNA AFAP1-AS1 expression is associated with progression and poor prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Altered expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with human carcinogenesis. We performed a cDNA microarray analysis of lncRNA expression in 12 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and 4 non-tumor nasopharyngeal epitheliums. One lncRNA, actin filament associated protein 1 antisense RNA1 (AFAP1-AS1), was identified and selected for further study.

Antagonism effects of cypermethrin on interleukin-6-induced androgen receptor activation.

To identify whether androgen receptor (AR) antagonism by cypermethrin involves interleukin-6 (IL-6)-induced ligand-independent AR signaling, we have developed the AR reporter gene assay. The reporter gene plasmid pMMTV-chloramphenicol transferase (CAT) was transfected into LNCaP cells. IL-6 increased expression of MMTV-CAT significantly (P<0.

Adrenomedullin Up-regulates the Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma Cells via JNK/AP-1 Pathway.

Objective: Adrenomedullin (AM), a potent vasodilator peptide, presents in various kinds of tumors and promotes angiogenesis. We have previously reported that AM is expressed in epithelial ovarian carcinoma tissue. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that AM might regulate production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in epithelial ovarian carcinoma and further promote angiogenic processes.

Ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide and α-methyltrimethylene carbonate catalyzed by magnesium and zinc complexes derived from binaphthyl-based iminophenolate ligands.

A series of racemic 2-[(2′-(dimethylamino)binaphthyl-2-ylimino)methyl]-4-R2-6-R(1)-phenols (L1H–L6H) were reacted with 1 equiv. of Mg[N(SiMe3)2]2 or Zn[N(SiMe3)2]2 to provide three heteroleptic magnesium silylamido complexes [(L4–(6))MgN(SiMe3)2] (4a: R(1) = R(2) = cumyl; 5a: R(1) = CPh3, R(2) = Me; 6a: R(1) = CPh3, R(2) = (t)Bu) and one heteroleptic zinc silylamido complex [(L(4))ZnN(SiMe3)2] (4b: R(1) = R(2) = cumyl). The molecular structures of complexes 4a, 4b and a homolepic zinc complex (L(5))2Zn (5b′) were further confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies.

Manganese homeostasis in the nervous system.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential heavy metal that is naturally found in the environment. Daily intake through dietary sources provides the necessary amount required for several key physiological processes, including antioxidant defense, energy metabolism, immune function and others. However, overexposure from environmental sources can result in a condition known as manganism that features symptomatology similar to Parkinson's disease (PD).

Acute kidney injury in hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure without preexisting liver cirrhosis.

Background And Aim: Acute kidney injury (AKI), as defined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network, has been widely investigated in decompensated liver cirrhosis patients. AKI is frequently progressive and independently associated with mortality in these patients. However, in the Asia-Pacific region, the majority of cases of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are caused by acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B without preexisting cirrhosis.