Noncoding RNA-mediated molecular bases of chemotherapy resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Despite the significant progress in decreasing the occurrence and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it remains a public health issue worldwide on the basis of its late presentation and tumor recurrence. To date, apart from surgical interventions, such as surgical resection, liver transplantation and locoregional ablation, current standard antitumor protocols include conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, due to the high chemoresistance nature, most current therapeutic agents show dismal outcomes for this refractory malignancy, leading to disease relapse.

Identification of potential key molecular biomarkers in lung adenocarcinoma by bioinformatics analysis.

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, of which the rate of incidence has continuously increased over recent years. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most frequent pathological type of lung cancer.

Methods: In order to discover the key markers for the occurrence and development of LUAD, we collected messenger RNA (mRNA) expression datasets in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), namely, GSE2514, GSE7670, and GSE40275.

A positive feedback loop between Periostin and TGFβ1 induces and maintains the stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via AP-2α activation.

Background: Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) play key roles in the metastasis, recurrence, and chemotherapeutic resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our previous research showed that the POSTN gene is closely related to the malignant progression and poor prognosis of HCC. This study aimed to elucidate the role of POSTN in generating LCSCs and maintaining their stemness as well as the underlying mechanisms.

Associations between ambient air pollutants and blood pressure among children and adolescents: A systemic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Numerous epidemiological studies have investigated the effects of short-term and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on hypertension and blood pressure among children and adolescents. However, the results were controversial. To provide researchers reliable evidence, this meta-analysis was performed.

Long-term exposure to high particulate matter pollution and incident hypertension: a 12-year cohort study in northern China.

Numerous cohort studies have reported the association of long-term exposure to particulate matter <10 μm in diameter (PM) and hypertension in American and European countries. However, these results have been inconsistent and subject to various confounding factors. The study aimed to explore the effect of long-term exposure to high-level concentrations of PM on incident hypertension in a large-scale cohort from northern China.

Therapy for advanced cholangiocarcinoma: Current knowledge and future potential.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a biliary epithelial tumour that can emerge at any point in the biliary tree. It is commonly classified based on its anatomical site of development into intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PCC) and distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC), each of which is associated with varying patient demographics, molecular characteristics and treatment options. CCA patients have poor overall prognoses and 5-year survival rates.

Traffic-related metrics and adverse birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Given the inconsistency of epidemiologic evidence for associations between maternal exposures to traffic-related metrics and adverse birth outcomes, this manuscript aims to provide clarity on this topic. Pooled meta-estimates were calculated using random-effects analyses. Subgroup analyses were conducted by study area, study design, and Newcastle-Ottawa quality score (NOS).

Associations between the incidence and mortality rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution: A 12-year cohort study in northern China.

Background: Ambient air pollution has recently been related to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a disease that has caused an economic and health burden worldwide. Evidence of an association between air pollution and T2DM was reported in the United States and Europe. However, few studies have focused on the association with high levels of air pollutants in a developing country.

Association between long-term exposure to Sulfur dioxide pollution and hypertension incidence in northern China: a 12-year cohort study.

Several studies have researched the short-term effect of sulfur dioxide (SO) exposure on hypertension. However, no evidence has provided the relationship between long-term high pollution exposure of SO and morbidity of hypertension in cohort studies in China. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate this association.

Associations of sirtuins with clinicopathological variables and prognosis in human ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth most frequent cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide, and is accompanied by asymptomatic progression. Sirtuins (SIRTs) are a family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent protein deacetylases, comprising seven members (SIRT1, SIRT2, SIRT3, SIRT4, SIRT5, SIRT6 and SIRT7). Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that SIRTs act as prognostic estimators in certain types of cancer such as lung cancer, prostate cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

The role of tumour microenvironment: a new vision for cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a relatively rare malignant and lethal tumour derived from bile duct epithelium and the morbidity is now increasing worldwide. This disease is difficult to diagnose at its inchoate stage and has poor prognosis. Therefore, a clear understanding of pathogenesis and major influencing factors is the key to develop effective therapeutic methods for CCA.

Capsaicin and sorafenib combination treatment exerts synergistic anti‑hepatocellular carcinoma activity by suppressing EGFR and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling.

Capsaicin (8‑methyl N‑vanillyl‑6 nonenamide) is a natural plant extract that has antitumor properties and induces apoptosis and autophagy in various types of malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sorafenib is a multi‑kinase inhibitor that improves the survival of patients with advanced HCC. In the present study, capsaicin and sorafenib were found to inhibit the growth of LM3, Hep3B and HuH7 cells.

Comprehensive anti-tumor effect of Brusatol through inhibition of cell viability and promotion of apoptosis caused by autophagy via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Brusatol, a natural quassinoid isolated from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine known as Bruceae Fructus, has recently been reported to possess powerful cytotoxic effects against various cancer cell lines, highlighting its potential as an anti-cancer drug. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which Brusatol exerts its anti-cancer effects remain poorly understood in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we demonstrated that Brusatol inhibited cell viability, proliferation and induced apoptosis in liver cancer lines.

Ribosomal protein S15a promotes tumor angiogenesis via enhancing Wnt/β-catenin-induced FGF18 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Ribosomal protein s15a (RPS15A) plays a promotive role in the mRNA/ribosome interactions during early translation. Our previous study has found that inhibiting RPS15A expression can decrease proliferation and induce cell cycle arrest in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. However, the mechanism underlying the involvement of RPS15A in HCC pathogenesis and the clinical significance of RPS15A expression remain unclear.

Ferroptosis, a new form of cell death, and its relationships with tumourous diseases.

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered type of cell death that differs from traditional apoptosis and necrosis and results from iron-dependent lipid peroxide accumulation. Ferroptotic cell death is characterized by cytological changes, including cell volume shrinkage and increased mitochondrial membrane density. Ferroptosis can be induced by two classes of small-molecule substances known as class 1 (system X inhibitors) and class 2 ferroptosis inducers [glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) inhibitors].

EphA1 activation promotes the homing of endothelial progenitor cells to hepatocellular carcinoma for tumor neovascularization through the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway.

Background: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) can migrate to the tumor tissue and enhance the angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); thus, they are associated with a poor prognosis. However, the specific molecular mechanism underlying the homing of EPCs to the HCC neovasculature remains unrevealed.

Methods: Co-culture experiments of endothelial progenitor cells with HCC cells with modulation of EphA1 were performed in vitro.

An investigation of the accuracy of an IMRT dose distribution using two- and three-dimensional dosimetry techniques.

Complex dose delivery techniques like intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) require dose measurement in three dimensions for comprehensive validation. Previously, we demonstrated the feasibility of the "PRESAGE/optical-computed tomography (CT)" system for the three-dimensional verification of simple open beam dose distributions where the planning system was known to be accurate. The present work extends this effort and presents the first application of the PRESAGE/optical-CT system for the verification of a complex IMRT distribution.

Three-dimensional imaging of whole rodent organs using optical computed and emission tomography.

We explore the potential of optical computed tomography (optical-CT) and optical emission computed tomography (optical-ECT) in a new area-whole organ imaging. The techniques are implemented on an in-house prototype benchtop system with improved image quality and the capacity to image larger samples (up to 3 cm) than previous systems based on stereo microscopes. Imaging performance tests confirm high geometrical accuracy, accurate relative measurement of linear attenuation coefficients, and the ability to image features at the 50-microm level.

A practical three-dimensional dosimetry system for radiation therapy.

There is a pressing need for a practical three-dimensional (3D) dosimetry system, convenient for clinical use, and with the accuracy and resolution to enable comprehensive verification of the complex dose distributions typical of modern radiation therapy. Here we introduce a dosimetry system that can achieve this challenge, consisting of a radiochromic dosimeter (PRESAGE) and a commercial optical computed tomography (CT) scanning system (OCTOPUS). PRESAGE is a transparent material with compelling properties for dosimetry, including insensitivity of the dose response to atmospheric exposure, a solid texture negating the need for an external container (reducing edge effects), and amenability to accurate optical CT scanning due to radiochromic optical contrast as opposed to light-scattering contrast.

Comparison of reconstruction algorithms for optical diffraction tomography.

A recently developed inverse scattering algorithm [A. J. Devaney and M.

Superresolution imaging from limited-aperture optical diffracted field data.

The use of an optical waveguide to attain a numerical aperture of unity in computational coherent optical imaging applications is described. It is shown that for the case of a one-dimensional (slitlike) object radiating into an optical waveguide consisting of two plane-parallel mirrors the complex field amplitude across any cross section of the waveguide contains sufficient information to reconstruct the object's transmittance function with a numerical aperture of unity. We include the derivation of an inversion algorithm for performing the object reconstruction as well as computer simulations of the procedure.

Digital microscopy using phase-shifting digital holography with two reference waves.

A lensless, coherent optical microscope is described that uses a version of phase-shifting digital holography (PSDH) in conjunction with a field backpropagation algorithm to form coherent images of transmission-type objects. The PSDH is implemented by use of only two reference waves, in contrast with the usual implementation that requires four quadrature phase-shifting reference waves. Therefore only two digital holograms need to be recorded, and the complexity of the microscopic system is reduced.