LncRNA BC promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression by modulating IMPAD1 alternative splicing.

Background: The therapeutic value of targeted therapies in patients with lung cancer is reduced when tumours acquire secondary resistance after an initial period of successful treatment. However, the molecular events behind the resistance to targeted therapies in lung cancer remain largely unknown.

Aims: To discover the important role and mechanism of lncRNA BC in promoting tumor metastasis and influencing clinical prognosis of LUAD.

Grape Seed Extract Attenuates Demyelination in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Mice by Inhibiting Inflammatory Response of Immune Cells.

Objective: To examine the anti-inflammatory effect of grape seed extract (GSE) in animal and cellular models and explore its mechanism of action.

Methods: This study determined the inhibitory effect of GSE on macrophage inflammation and Th1 and Th17 polarization in vitro. Based on the in vitro results, the effects and mechanisms of GSE on multiple sclerosis (MS)-experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice model were further explored.

The Influence of Small Biomolecules, Salts and Buffers on the Molecular Recognition of Amide Naphthotube in Aqueous Solutions.

We found the binding affinities of amide naphthotube to neutral organic molecules in water are not influenced by most of small biomolecules, inorganic salts, and PBS and Tris buffers but are reduced in HEPES buffer through competitive binding. Nevertheless, salts do change the binding affinities of amide naphthotube to charged molecules through a screening effect.

Transcatheter arterial infusion chemotherapy and embolization for primary lacrimal sac squamous cell carcinoma: A case report.

Background: Although tumors of the lacrimal sac are rare, they represent a potentially life-threatening situation that can easily be overlooked since patients present with features consistent with chronic dacryocystitis. Lacrimal sac squamous cell carcinoma is the most common lacrimal sac malignancy, but no definitive treatment is currently available.

Case Summary: We describe a 34-year-old unmarried male who presented with a red and swollen right lower eyelid, which gradually developed into a mass of the lower eyelid that obstructed vision in his right eye.

Reduced N6-Methyladenosine Mediated by METTL3 Acetylation Promotes MTF1 Expression and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Growth.

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A), one of the post-transcriptional modifications of RNA, is important in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanism of its regulation remains elusive. We here show that exposure of HCC cells to sulfatide significantly reduced the total mRNA m6A modification.

Stabilization of Imines and Hemiaminals in Water by an Endo-Functionalized Container Molecule.

Stabilizing water-sensitive reaction intermediates is challenging but desirable for guiding reactions to desired products in water. Herein, we report that labile imine and hemiaminal functional groups can be stabilized inside a synthetic container compound, a water-soluble naphthotube. The naphthotube features a primary amine group anchored in a cavity with both hydrogen bonding sites and hydrophobic surfaces.

Risk of Autoimmune Diseases Following Optic Neuritis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objectives: Optic neuritis is (ON) is believed to be an immune-mediated disease; however, the association between optic neuritis and autoimmune diseases remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the incidence rate and adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of autoimmune diseases in patients with optic neuritis.

Methods: This nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study collected patients' data between 1999 and 2013 from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan.

MicroRNA profile as potential molecular signature for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.

Aims: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent disorder of neurodevelopment in children. The diagnosis of ADHD mainly relies on the symptoms and some may be misdiagnosed due to age-based variation in behaviours. This study aimed to explore biomarkers that are greatly needed for the accurate diagnosis of ADHD.

[Clinical features of children with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis syndrome: an analysis of 13 cases].

Objective: To study the clinical features of children with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome, a polygenic and multifactorial autoinflammatory disease with unknown pathogenesis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 13 children with PFAPA syndrome.

Results: All 13 children had disease onset within the age of 3 years, with a mean age of onset of (14±10) months.

[A molecular epidemiological study of respiratory syncytial virus circulating in southern Zhejiang Province, China, from 2009 to 2014].

Objective: To find out the prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) genotypes in southern Zhejiang Province, China, and to study the genetic characteristics of G protein from subtype A of RSV.

Methods: The lower respiratory tract secretions of children under 5 years of age who were hospitalized for pneumonia and bronchiolitis in three hospitals in southern Zhejiang Province from July 2009 to June 2014 were collected. Direct immunofluorescence assay was used to detect RSV antigens from the collected secretions.

BRD1-Mediated Acetylation Promotes Integrin αV Gene Expression Via Interaction with Sulfatide.

Integrin αV gene expression is often dysregulated in cancers especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the mechanism of regulation is poorly understood. Here, it is demonstrated that sulfatide activated integrin αV gene transcription, through histone H3K9/14 acetylation at the promoter, and high integrin αV expression are closely associated with poor prognosis. To elucidate the mechanism of regulation of acetylation, sulfatide-bound proteins were screened by mass spectrometry (MS), and bromodomain containing protein 1 (BRD1) was identified as an interacting protein that also colocalized with sulfatide in HCC cells.

Effects of metformin on survival outcomes of pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background And Aim: Recent epidemiological studies indicated that metformin might improve the survival of various cancers. However, its benefit on pancreatic cancer was controversial.

Methods: We performed this meta-analysis to investigate the benefit of metformin on pancreatic cancer.

MiR-124 inhibits the migration and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells by suppressing integrin αV expression.

Tumor metastasis is the major cause of cancer-related death especially in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although microRNAs have been implicated in tumor development, the roles of miR-124 in HCC metastasis are still not well understood. We conducted functional analysis in this study to investigate miR-124.

Vimentin is important in the neural differentiation of PC12 cells promoted by sialylation.

Sialic acid modification is a kind of post-translational modification. To investigate the regulation effect of sialic acid on neural differentiation, we used CycloManN propanyl perac (CycloManN pro), a metabolic precursor of sialic acid, to treat PC12 cells. We noted that CycloManN pro indeed robustly promoted global sialylation detected by MAL II lectin blot in PC12 cells.

Prognostic significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in rectal cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background: Inflammatory responses play decisive roles in tumor development, immune surveillance, and responses to therapy. High neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), as an inflammation index, has been reported to be a predictor for poor prognosis of various cancers. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the prognostic value of NLR in patients with rectal cancer.

Sulfatide interacts with and activates integrin αVβ3 in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Integrin αVβ3 is a malignant driver of anchorage-independence and tumor angiogenesis, but its dysregulation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. In this study, we observed that sulfatide significantly promoted integrin αV(ITGAV) expression and wound closure in HCC. We also noted that elevated sulfatide profoundly stimulated integrin αVβ3 clustering and signaling.

[Quantification of Agricultural In-Situ Surface Soil Moisture Content Using Near Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy: A Comparison of Modeling Methods].

At field scale, surface soil had special characteristics of volumetric moisture content (VMC) with a relatively little difference and spatial heterogeneity induced by physical and chemical properties, roughness, straw residues, etc. It has been a great challenge for near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (NIR-DRS) measurement of surface soil moisture in situ. In this study, exonential decay models based on seven water-related wavelengths (1200, 1400, 1450, 1820, 1940, 2000 and 2250 nm), linear models of normalized difference soil moisture index (NSMI) and relative absorption depth (RAD) based on wave-length combinations, linear or quadratic model of width of the inflection (σ), center amplitude of the function (Rd) and area under the Gaussian curve (A) from soil moisture Gaussian model (SMGM), and partial least square (PLS) regression models based on bands were used to quantify VMC.

Nr3C1-Bhlhb2 Axis Dysregulation Is Involved in the Development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a child developmental and behavioral disorder which seriously hinders their education and development. To investigate the key regulators in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the major affected areas of ADHD, microRNA (miR)-138,138*, 34c*, 296, and 494, were noted for their significant downregulation in ADHD model rats spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) compared to Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat control. Based on promoter sequence analysis and activity assay, glucocorticoid receptor (Nr3c1) was identified for the inhibition of the promoter activity of miR-138-1, 34c*, 296, and 494 genes and their transcription.

Sulfatide epigenetically regulates miR-223 and promotes the migration of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Background & Aims: The biological relevance and regulation mechanism of aberrant miR-223 expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. Our aim was to investigate miR-223 regulation in HCC.

Methods: miR-223 and integrin αV dysregulation were verified in 57 HCC specimens.

Decoy oligonucleotide rescues IGF1R expression from MicroRNA-223 suppression.

A mature miRNA generally suppresses hundreds of mRNA targets. To evaluate the selective effect of synthetic oligonucleotide decoys on hsa-miR-223 activity, reporters containing 3' untranslated regions (UTR) of IGF1R, FOXO1, POLR3G, FOXO3, CDC27, FBXW7 and PAXIP1 mRNAs were constructed for the luciferase assay. The oligonucleotide decoys were designed and synthesized according to mature miR-223 sequence and its target mRNA sequence.

Regulation of integrin αV subunit expression by sulfatide in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Integrin is important in migration and metastasis of tumor cells. Changes of integrin expression and distribution will cause an alteration of cellular adhesion and migration behaviors. In this study, we investigated sulfatide regulation of the integrin αV subunit expression in hepatoma cells and observed that either exogenous or endogenous sulfatide elicited a robust upregulation of integrin αV subunit mRNA and protein expression in hepatoma cells.

MicroRNA-223 regulates FOXO1 expression and cell proliferation.

In HCT116 colorectal cancer cells, HeLa cervical cancer cells and HuH-7 hepatoma cells, miR-223 is expressed at a low level. Through infection with lentivirus containing miR-223 precursor, miR-223 [corrected] was overexpressed in all these cells. Interestingly, the expression levels of FOXO1 mRNA and protein, and phosphorylation levels became significantly lower than those of their control.

MiR-223 suppresses cell proliferation by targeting IGF-1R.

To study the roles of microRNA-223 (miR-223) in regulation of cell growth, we established a miR-223 over-expression model in HeLa cells infected with miR-223 by Lentivirus pLL3.7 system. We observed in this model that miR-223 significantly suppressed the proliferation, growth rate, colony formation of HeLa cells in vitro, and in vivo tumorigenicity or tumor formation in nude mice.

[Feasibility of using NIR spectroscopy to detect melamine in milk].

In the present study, 22 certified milk samples without melamine were collected, then 50 adulterated milk samples with added different content of melamine (0.1-1 500 mg x kg(-1)) were prepared. The near-infrared (NIR) spectra of these milk samples were measured.