Clinical prospective study of Gallium 68 (Ga)-labeled fibroblast-activation protein inhibitor PET/CT in the diagnosis of biliary tract carcinoma.

Purpose: This study is to investigate the [Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI PET/CT diagnosis performance in biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) and analyze the association between [Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI PET/CT and clinical indexes.

Methods: A prospective study (NCT05264688) was performed between January 2022 and July 2022. Fifty participants were scanned using [Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI and [F]FDG PET/CT and acquired pathological tissue.

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Navigation- Versus Conventional-Laparoscopic Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score-Matched, Retrospective, Cohort Study.

Background: Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging technology is increasingly widely used in laparoscopic hepatectomy. However, whether it can provide long-term survival benefits to patients with liver malignancies remains unclear. This study investigated the clinical effect of laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using ICG imaging technology.

A study on the differences in radon exhalation of different lithologies at various depths and the factors influencing its distribution in northern Shaanxi, China.

The inhalation of a high concentration of radon gas increases the risk of cancer. Therefore, it is of utmost necessity to pay due attention to the problem of environmental radon pollution. The high radioactivity above the coal slab causes serious radon radiation contamination on the mining grounds in coal mining areas such as the northern part of China and the western part of the United States.

Developing metabolic gene signatures to predict intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma prognosis and mining a miRNA regulatory network.

Background: Metabolic disturbance is closely correlated with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC), and we aimed to identify metabolic gene marker for the prognosis of IHCC.

Methods: We obtained expression and clinical data from 141 patients with IHCC from public databases. Prognostic metabolic genes were selected using univariate Cox regression analysis.

Effect of heat treatment on the emission rate of radon from red sandstone.

High temperature and pore structure are important factors affecting the emission rate of radon in rocks. This study mainly focused on the correlation between radon emission rate and temperature in red sandstone. The results showed that in the temperature range of 25-400 °C, as the temperature increased, the connectivity of the internal pores of the sample became better, resulting in a significantly increased radon emission rate.

Surgical Masks for Protection of Health Care Personnel Against Covid-19: Results from an Observational Study.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to describe the use of masks among health care personnel (HCP) exposed to index cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and to evaluate any association with infection rate.

Methods: We did a retrospective, observational study of HCP at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University for the management of COVID-19 (before person-to-person transmission was official confirmed, no additional protection was provided). A questionnaire was given to all staff listed on the roster in the clinical regions providing care for index patients with COVID-19.

Casein kinase 2 inhibitor CX-4945 elicits an anti-Warburg effects through the downregulation of TAp73 and inhibits gastric tumorigenesis.

Casein kinase 2 (CK2) has become a potential therapeutic target in gastric cancer; however, the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. TAp73, a structural homolog of the tumor suppressor p53, acts as a critical regulator of the Warburg effect. Recent study reveals that aberrant CK2 signaling is able to inhibit TAp73 function.

Monensin inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth of chemo-resistant pancreatic cancer cells by targeting the EGFR signaling pathway.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most deadly malignancies with <5% five-year survival rate due to late diagnosis, limited treatment options and chemoresistance. There is thus an urgent unmet clinical need to develop effective anticancer drugs to treat pancreatic cancer. Here, we study the potential of repurposing monensin as an anticancer drug for chemo-resistant pancreatic cancer.

[Simultaneous determination of nine typical anions in fire explosive residues by ion chromatography].

A novel method was developed for the simultaneous determination of nine typical anions (Cl, NO, ClO, NO, CO, SO, SO, SCNand ClO) in explosive residues by ion chromatography (IC). A high capacity anion-exchange IonPac AS20 column (250 mm×4 mm) was used for the separation of the nine anions with gradient elution of KOH. The injection volume was 20 μL, the column temperature was 40℃, and the flow rate was 1.

Energy Storage Analysis of a Mixed R161/MOF-5 Nanoparticle Nanofluid Based on Molecular Simulations.

The thermal properties of refrigerants can be modified by adding porous nanoparticles into them. Here, molecular simulations, including molecular dynamics and grand canonical Monte Carlo, were employed to study the thermal energy storage properties of an R161/MOF-5 nanofluid. The results show that the thermodynamic energy change of MOF-5 nanoparticles is linear to the temperature.

NEL-Like Molecule-1 (Nell1) Is Regulated by Bone Morphogenetic Protein 9 (BMP9) and Potentiates BMP9-Induced Osteogenic Differentiation at the Expense of Adipogenesis in Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Background: BMP9 induces both osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Nell1 is a secretory glycoprotein with osteoinductive and anti-adipogenic activities. We investigated the role of Nell1 in BMP9-induced osteogenesis and adipogenesis in MSCs.

Metabolic effects of basic fibroblast growth factor in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: A H NMR-based metabolomics investigation.

The fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) family shows a great potential in the treatment of diabetes, but little attention is paid to basic FGF (bFGF). In this study, to explore the metabolic effects of bFGF on diabetes, metabolic changes in serum and feces were analyzed in the normal rats, the streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats and the bFGF-treated diabetic rats using a H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomic approach. Interestingly, bFGF treatment significantly decreased glucose, lipid and low density lipoprotein/very low density lipoprotein (LDL/VLDL) levels in serum of diabetic rats.

Bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) induces effective bone formation from reversibly immortalized multipotent adipose-derived (iMAD) mesenchymal stem cells.

Regenerative medicine and bone tissue engineering using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great promise as an effective approach to bone and skeletal reconstruction. While adipose tissue harbors MSC-like progenitors, or multipotent adipose-derived cells (MADs), it is important to identify and characterize potential biological factors that can effectively induce osteogenic differentiation of MADs. To overcome the time-consuming and technically challenging process of isolating and culturing primary MADs, here we establish and characterize the reversibly immortalized mouse multipotent adipose-derived cells (iMADs).

A thermoresponsive polydiolcitrate-gelatin scaffold and delivery system mediates effective bone formation from BMP9-transduced mesenchymal stem cells.

Successful bone tissue engineering requires at the minimum sufficient osteoblast progenitors, efficient osteoinductive factors, and biocompatible scaffolding materials. We previously demonstrated that bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) is one of the most potent factors in inducing osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Here, we investigated the potential use of a biodegradable citrate-based thermosensitive macromolecule, poly(polyethyleneglycol citrate-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) (PPCN) mixed with gelatin (PPCNG) as a scaffold for the delivery of BMP9-stimulated MSCs to promote localized bone formation.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays an ever-expanding role in stem cell self-renewal, tumorigenesis and cancer chemoresistance.

Wnt signaling transduces evolutionarily conserved pathways which play important roles in initiating and regulating a diverse range of cellular activities, including cell proliferation, calcium homeostasis, and cell polarity. The role of Wnt signaling in control of cell proliferation and stem cell self-renewal is primarily carried out through the canonical pathway, which is the best characterized among the multiple Wnt signaling branches. The past 10 years has seen a rapid expansion in our understanding of the complexity of this pathway, as many new components of Wnt signaling have been identified and linked to signaling regulation, stem cell functions, and adult tissue homeostasis.

Transition to resistance: An unexpected role of the EMT in cancer chemoresistance.

Two recent studies provide intriguing evidence that challenges the role of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as a critical mediator of cancer metastasis, while revealing an unexpected role in cancer drug resistance. While these findings may not settle the EMT's role in metastasis, these studies suggest that targeting the EMT may inhibit both cancer metastasis and chemoresistance.

The Prodomain-Containing BMP9 Produced from a Stable Line Effectively Regulates the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Background: BMPs play important roles in regulating stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Using adenovirus-mediated expression of the 14 types of BMPs we demonstrated that BMP9 is one of the most potent BMPs in inducing osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which was undetected in the early studies using recombinant BMP9 proteins. Endogenous BMPs are expressed as a precursor protein that contains an N-terminal signal peptide, a prodomain and a C-terminal mature peptide.

The Calcium-Binding Protein S100A6 Accelerates Human Osteosarcoma Growth by Promoting Cell Proliferation and Inhibiting Osteogenic Differentiation.

Background/aims: Although osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignancy of bone, its molecular pathogenesis remains to be fully understood. We previously found the calcium-binding protein S100A6 was expressed in ∼80% of the analyzed OS primary and/or metastatic tumor samples. Here, we investigate the role of S100A6 in OS growth and progression.

Antibiotic monensin synergizes with EGFR inhibitors and oxaliplatin to suppress the proliferation of human ovarian cancer cells.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy with an overall cure rate of merely 30%. Most patients experience recurrence within 12-24 months of cure and die of progressively chemotherapy-resistant disease. Thus, more effective anti-ovarian cancer therapies are needed.

A Novel Organ Culture Model of Mouse Intervertebral Disc Tissues.

The intervertebral disc (IVD) is a fibrocartilaginous joint between two vertebral bodies. An IVD unit consists of a gelatinous central nucleus pulposus, encased by the annulus fibrosus, which is sandwiched between cartilaginous endplates (EPs). The IVD homeostasis can be disrupted by injuries, ageing and/or genetic predispositions, leading to degenerative disc disorders and subsequent lower back pain.

TqPCR: A Touchdown qPCR Assay with Significantly Improved Detection Sensitivity and Amplification Efficiency of SYBR Green qPCR.

The advent of fluorescence-based quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) has revolutionized the quantification of gene expression analysis in many fields, including life sciences, agriculture, forensic science, molecular diagnostics, and medicine. While SYBR Green-based qPCR is the most commonly-used platform due to its inexpensive nature and robust chemistry, quantifying the expression of genes with low abundance or RNA samples extracted from highly restricted or limited sources can be challenging because the detection sensitivity of SYBR Green-based qPCR is limited. Here, we develop a novel and effective touchdown qPCR (TqPCR) protocol by incorporating a 4-cycle touchdown stage prior to the quantification amplification stage.

Genetic polymorphism of interleukin-6 influences susceptibility to HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma in a male Chinese Han population.

As a multifunctional cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a key role in chronic inflammation as well as tumor growth and progression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Recent studies have implicated that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) -572C>G (rs1800796) located within the promoter region of IL-6 gene was associated with susceptibility to several diseases. Here, a case-control study was undertaken to investigate the association between this polymorphism and HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility in a Chinese Han population.

Rather than Rs1800796 polymorphism, expression of interleukin-6 is associated with disease progression of chronic HBV infection in a Chinese Han population.

Interleukin-6 plays an important role in chronic inflammation as well as tumor growth and progression. Here, a case-control study was undertaken to investigate the association of rs1800796 polymorphism of IL-6 gene and serum levels with disease progression of chronic HBV infection. Rs1800796 polymorphism was genotyped in 641 Chinese Han patients with chronic HBV infection, including 23 IT, 25 IC, 292 CHB, 153 LC, and 148 HCC patients and 265 healthy controls.