The circular RNA circ-ITCH suppresses ovarian carcinoma progression through targeting miR-145/RASA1 signaling.

As the leading cause of death for gynecological cancers, ovarian cancer (OC) ranks fifth overall for cancer-related death among women. Emerging evidence has indicated that circular RNA (circRNA), recognized as functional non-coding transcripts in eukaryotic cells, may be involved in many physiological or pathological processes. It was reported that circ-ITCH is downregulated in multi cancers and serves as a powerful tumor suppressor among through a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) pathway.

Differentiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into hepatocytes in comparison with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered to be an ideal source for the cell therapy of end‑stage liver diseases. Umbilical cord (UC)‑MSCs can be obtained via a non‑invasive procedure and can be easily cultured, making them potentially superior candidates for cell transplantation when compared with MSCs from other sources. In the present study, UC‑MSCs were induced to differentiate into hepatocytes and were compared with bone marrow (BM)‑MSCs for their hepatic differentiation potential.

Cancer/testis antigen-Plac1 promotes invasion and metastasis of breast cancer through Furin/NICD/PTEN signaling pathway.

Placenta-specific protein 1 (Plac1) is a cancer/testis antigen that plays a critical role in promoting cancer initiation and progression. However, the clinical significance and mechanism of Plac1 in cancer progression remain elusive. Here, we report that Plac1 is an important oncogenic and prognostic factor, which physically interacts with Furin to drive breast cancer invasion and metastasis.

The Impacts of Peptic Ulcer on Stroke Recurrence.

Background: Peptic ulcer has been associated with an increased risk of stroke. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of peptic ulcer on stroke recurrence and mortality.

Subjects And Methods: Patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were retrospectively confirmed with or without a history of peptic ulcer.

NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition attenuates silica-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human bronchial epithelial cells.

Silicosis is an incurable and progressive lung disease characterized by chronic inflammation and fibroblasts accumulation. Studies have indicated a vital role for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in fibroblasts accumulation. NLRP3 inflammasome is a critical mediator of inflammation in response to a wide range of stimuli (including silica particles), and plays an important role in many respiratory diseases.

De novo genic mutations among a Chinese autism spectrum disorder cohort.

Recurrent de novo (DN) and likely gene-disruptive (LGD) mutations contribute significantly to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) but have been primarily investigated in European cohorts. Here, we sequence 189 risk genes in 1,543 Chinese ASD probands (1,045 from trios). We report an 11-fold increase in the odds of DN LGD mutations compared with expectation under an exome-wide neutral model of mutation.

Bakkenolide A inhibits leukemia by regulation of HDAC3 and PI3K/Akt-related signaling pathways.

Leukemia has been the third type of cancer killing many people across the world. Bakkenolide A (Bak), extracted from Petasites tricholobus, has been suggested to against cancer and display protective effects on inflammatory cytokines formation. And increasing evidences suggest that histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) plays vital roles in cancer formation and persistence via cell death, apoptosis and inflammation.

Application of 80-kVp tube voltage, low-concentration contrast agent and iterative reconstruction in coronary CT angiography: evaluation of image quality and radiation dose.

Background And Aim: To evaluate image quality and radiation dosage in coronary CT angiography using 80-kVp tube voltage combined with low-concentration contrast media (CM) and iterative reconstruction (IR) for coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and employing dual-source CT without heart-rate control.

Methods: 154 patients were randomly assigned to Group A (Control Group, 120-kVp tube voltage, high-concentration CM and filtered back projection reconstruction) and Group B (Low-Dose Group, 80 kVp, low-concentration CM and iterative construction). Two experienced radiologists double-blindly evaluated the following parameters: CT attenuation, signal-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-noise ratio (CNR), radiation dose, size-specific dose estimates (SSDE) and total iodine intake.

Delayed treatment of femoral neck fractures in 58 children: open reduction internal fixation versus closed reduction internal fixation.

Unlabelled: The best treatment plan for femoral neck fractures in children in whom treatment is delayed by more than 24 h is unclear because of the limited number of such cases reported. This study compares the outcomes of closed and open reduction performed 24 h after the injury was sustained. We retrospectively reviewed 58 cases (40 males, 18 females) of femoral neck fractures reset after more than a 24-h delay at our hospital (May 2005 to May 2014).

Promotion of breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 invasion by di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate through matrix metalloproteinase-2/-9 overexpression.

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is an estrogenic chemical that is widely used in polyvinyl products. We aimed to determine the mechanisms behind the effects of DEHP on ERα-negative breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 invasion and matrix metalloproteinases-2/-9 (MMP-2/-9) up-regulation in this study. Transwell assay indicated that DEHP exposure (>50 μg/ml) significantly enhanced the invasion ability of MDA-MB-231 cells.

[Regulatory role of serum miR-224 in invasiveness and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the expression profile of serum micro (mi)RNAs in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and investigate the regulatory contribution of miRNAs to the invasive and metastasis.

Methods: Microarray analysis was carried out using serum samples collected from 30 patients with CCA, bile duct cancer tissues and the corresponding normal tissues collected from 10 patients, and serum samples from 50 healthy volunteers. The miRNAs identified as dysregulated in CCA were verified by RT-PCR.

HBsAg spontaneous seroclearance in a cohort of HBeAg-seronegative patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is considered to reflect the resolution of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Patient characteristics and various seromarkers were evaluated to characterize factors predicting spontaneous HBsAg loss in a cohort of HBeAg-seronegative patients with presumed chronic HBV infection. Relationships between seromarkers and HBsAg loss were assessed annually and after 6 years using binary logistic regression.

The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, resting-state hippocampal functional connectivity and cognitive deficits in acute late-onset depression.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between hippocampal functional connectivity (HFC), cognitive deficits, and the influence of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on the HFC in acute late-onset depression (LOD).

Methods: 26 LOD patients and 33 and normal controls (NCs) completed clinical assessments, neuropsychological testing, blood samples collecting for genotyping, and resting-state functional MRI (R-fMRI) scans. The LOD and NCs groups were further divided into four groups according to BDNF Met allele carrier or not (LOD Met-(n=8); LOD Met+(n=18); NCs Met-(n=9); NCs Met+(n=24)).

Identification of aac(2')-I type b aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme genes in resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism underlying the drug resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii toward aminoglycosides. A total of 32 A. baumannii strains were identified by molecular identification and subsequently isolated.

miR-26a and miR-214 down-regulate expression of the PTEN gene in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, but not PTEN mutation or promoter methylation.

We previous found the expression level of PTEN was low in the chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. To assess the pathogenic contribution of the low expression of PTEN, we determined PTEN-regulating miRNA interference, PTEN promoter methylation and PTEN gene mutation condition in CLL. One hundred and fifty-four previously untreated CLL patients and 200 cases of healthy controls were sequenced in exons 5-9 of PTEN.

Triggering the succinate receptor GPR91 enhances pressure overload-induced right ventricular hypertrophy.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) leads to pressure overload in the right ventricle (RV) and induces right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH). GPR91 is an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that has been characterized as a receptor for succinate, which increases in RVH; however, its role remains unknown.

Methods And Results: We studied succinate-GPR91 signaling in a pulmonary arterial banding (PAB) model of RVH in the SD rats due to pressure overload.

Sildenefil increases connexin 40 in smooth muscle cells through activation of BMP pathways in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a cardiovascular disorder associated with enhanced proliferation and suppressed apoptosis of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). The sildenafil can regulate the Connexin (Cx) 43 in the PASMCs and thus inhibit the PASMCs proliferation and the remodeling of pulmonary arterial. However, how sildenafil exert regulation in the Cx40 in the PASMCs in PAH remains unclear.

Calreticulin gene mutations in myeloproliferative neoplasms without Janus kinase 2 mutations.

Calreticulin, an endoplasmic reticulum protein with multiple functions involving chaperone activity and calcium homeostasis, plays an important role in cellular proliferation and differentiation. Calreticulin dysfunction is known to be associated with different cancers. Very recently, calreticulin mutations have been identified in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), with a particularly high frequency in MPNs without Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) mutations, which exhibit clinical characteristics different from those with mutant JAK2.

Current progress in gene delivery technology based on chemical methods and nano-carriers.

Gene transfer methods are promising in the field of gene therapy. Current methods for gene transfer include three major groups: viral, physical and chemical methods. This review mainly summarizes development of several types of chemical methods for gene transfer in vitro and in vivo by means of nano-carriers like; calcium phosphates, lipids, and cationic polymers including chitosan, polyethylenimine, polyamidoamine dendrimers, and poly(lactide-co-glycolide).

Autism spectrum disorder as early neurodevelopmental disorder: evidence from the brain imaging abnormalities in 2-3 years old toddlers.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that occurs within the first 3 years of life, which is marked by social skills and communication deficits along with stereotyped repetitive behavior. Although great efforts have been made to clarify the underlying neuroanatomical abnormalities and brain-behavior relationships in adolescents and adults with ASD, literature is still limited in information about the neurobiology of ASD in the early age of life. Brain images of 50 toddlers with ASD and 28 age, gender, and developmental quotient matched toddlers with developmental delay (DD) (control group) between ages 2 and 3 years were captured using combined magnetic resonance-based structural imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

[Autoimmune hemolytic anemia associated with B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders].

This study was purpose to investigate the clinical characteristics of B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPD) complicated by autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) so as to improve the understanding of this disease. The clinical characteristics, laboratory data, therapy and outcome of 14 patients suffering from B-CLPD complicated by AIHA were retrospectively analyzed in Wuxi People Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from 2000 to 2012. The results showed that 9 cases of the 14 patients were patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 5 cases were patients with lymphoma, at time of hemolysis the median level of hemoglobin was 61 (33 - 84)g/L, the median ratio of reticulocytes was 12.

Response inhibition impairment in high functioning autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: evidence from near-infrared spectroscopy data.

Background: Response inhibition, an important domain of executive function (EF), involves the ability to suppress irrelevant or interfering information and impulses. Previous studies have shown impairment of response inhibition in high functioning autism (HFA) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but more recent findings have been inconsistent. To date, almost no studies have been conducted using functional imaging techniques to directly compare inhibitory control between children with HFA and those with ADHD.

Detecting abnormalities of corpus callosum connectivity in autism using magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor tractography.

The corpus callosum (CC) has emerged as one of the primary targets of autism research. To detect aberrant CC interhemispheric connectivity in autism, we performed T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based tractography in 18 children with high functioning autism (HFA) and 16 well-matched typically developing (TD) children. We compared global and regional T1 measures (CC volume, and CC density), and the DTI measures [fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), average fiber length (AFL), and fiber number (FN)] of transcallosal fibers, between the two groups.

microRNA expression profiling in fetal single ventricle malformation identified by deep sequencing.

microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key regulators in many biological processes, particularly cardiac growth and development, although the specific miRNA expression profile associated with this process remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to characterize the cellular microRNA profile involved in the development of congenital heart malformation, through the investigation of single ventricle (SV) defects. Comprehensive miRNA profiling in human fetal SV cardiac tissue was performed by deep sequencing.

Interictal magnetoencephalographic findings related with surgical outcomes in lesional and nonlesional neocortical epilepsy.

Purpose: To investigate whether interictal magnetoencephalography (MEG) concordant with other techniques can predict surgical outcome in patients with lesional and nonlesional refractory neocortical epilepsy (NE).

Methods: 23 Patients with lesional NE and 20 patients with nonlesional NE were studied. MEG was recorded for all patients with a 275 channel whole-head system.