Assessment of Breast Cancer Knowledge among Health Workers in Bangui, Central African Republic: a Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. High breast cancer mortality has been attributed to lack of public awareness of the disease. Little is known about the level of knowledge of breast cancer in Central African Republic.

Activation of Serotonin 2C Receptors in Dopamine Neurons Inhibits Binge-like Eating in Mice.

Background: Neural networks that regulate binge eating remain to be identified, and effective treatments for binge eating are limited.

Methods: We combined neuroanatomic, pharmacologic, electrophysiological, Cre-lox, and chemogenetic approaches to investigate the functions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 2C receptor (5-HTR) expressed by dopamine (DA) neurons in the regulation of binge-like eating behavior in mice.

Results: We showed that 5-HT stimulates DA neural activity through a 5-HTR-mediated mechanism, and activation of this midbrain 5-HT→DA neural circuit effectively inhibits binge-like eating behavior in mice.

HMGB1 exacerbates bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome via RAGE/NF-κB/HPSE signaling to enhance latent TGF-β release from ECM.

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), characterized by progressive airflow obstruction, is the main barrier to long-term graft survival after lung transplantation. Despite extensive studies, the mechanisms underlying BOS remain poorly understood, and targeted interventions have not yet been fully developed. In the present study, we employed a mouse model of tracheal transplantation and demonstrated that blockade of HMGB1 alone or combined with heparanase (HPSE) attenuates the development of BOS.

Pancreatic cancer risk variant in LINC00673 creates a miR-1231 binding site and interferes with PTPN11 degradation.

Genome-wide association studies have identified several loci associated with pancreatic cancer risk; however, the mechanisms by which genetic factors influence the development of sporadic pancreatic cancer remain largely unknown. Here, by using genome-wide association analysis and functional characterization, we identify a long intergenic noncoding RNA (lincRNA), LINC00673, as a potential tumor suppressor whose germline variation is associated with pancreatic cancer risk. LINC00673 is able to reinforce the interaction of PTPN11 with PRPF19, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, and promote PTPN11 degradation through ubiquitination, which causes diminished SRC-ERK oncogenic signaling and enhanced activation of the STAT1-dependent antitumor response.

The mRNA-edited form of GABRA3 suppresses GABRA3-mediated Akt activation and breast cancer metastasis.

Metastasis is a critical event affecting breast cancer patient survival. To identify molecules contributing to the metastatic process, we analysed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer data and identified 41 genes whose expression is inversely correlated with survival. Here we show that GABAA receptor alpha3 (Gabra3), normally exclusively expressed in adult brain, is also expressed in breast cancer, with high expression of Gabra3 being inversely correlated with breast cancer survival.

Exposure to airborne PM2.5 suppresses microRNA expression and deregulates target oncogenes that cause neoplastic transformation in NIH3T3 cells.

Long-term exposure to airborne PM2.5 is associated with increased lung cancer risk but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We characterized global microRNA and mRNA expression in human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to PM2.

Two novel variants on 13q22.1 are associated with risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Chromosome 13q22.1 has previously been identified to be a susceptibility locus for pancreatic cancer in Chinese and European ancestry populations. This pleiotropy study aimed to identify novel variants in this region associated with susceptibility to different types of human cancer.

AKAP4 is a circulating biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer.

Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are widely expressed in tumor tissues, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and in cancer derived exosomes that are frequently engulfed by lymphoid cells. To determine whether tumor derived CTA mRNAs could be detected in RNA from purified peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, we assayed for the expression of 116 CTAs in PBMC RNA in a discovery set and identified AKAP4 as a potential NSCLC biomarker. We validated AKAP4 as a highly accurate biomarker in a cohort of 264 NSCLCs and 135 controls from 2 different sites including a subset of controls with high risk lung nodules.

Growth, patterning and alignment of organolead iodide perovskite nanowires for optoelectronic devices.

Organolead halide perovskites are becoming intriguing materials applied in optoelectronics. In the present work, organolead iodide perovskite (OIP) nanowires (NWs) have been fabricated by a one step self-assembly method. The controllable NW distributions were implemented by a series of facile techniques: monolayer and small diameter NWs were prepared by precursor concentration tuning; NW patterning was achieved via selected area treatment assisted by a mask; NW alignment was implemented by modified evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA).

Volumetric-modulated arc therapy for oropharyngeal carcinoma: a dosimetric and delivery efficiency comparison with static-field IMRT.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the treatment plan adequacy and delivery efficiency among volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with one or two arcs and the conventional static-field dynamic multileaf collimator (dMLC) intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in patients undergoing oropharyngeal carcinoma. Fifteen patient cases were included in this investigation. Each of the cases was planned using step-and-shoot IMRT, VMAT with a single arc (Arc1) and VMAT with double arcs (Arc2).

Joint analysis of three genome-wide association studies of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese populations.

We conducted a joint (pooled) analysis of three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in individuals of Chinese ancestry (5,337 ESCC cases and 5,787 controls) with 9,654 ESCC cases and 10,058 controls for follow-up. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, study and two eigenvectors, two new loci achieved genome-wide significance, marked by rs7447927 at 5q31.2 (per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 0.

Imputation and subset-based association analysis across different cancer types identifies multiple independent risk loci in the TERT-CLPTM1L region on chromosome 5p15.33.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have mapped risk alleles for at least 10 distinct cancers to a small region of 63 000 bp on chromosome 5p15.33. This region harbors the TERT and CLPTM1L genes; the former encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase reverse transcriptase and the latter may play a role in apoptosis.

ID1 promotes breast cancer metastasis by S100A9 regulation.

Unlabelled: Metastasis is a major factor responsible for mortality in patients with breast cancer. Inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (Id1) has been shown to play an important role in cell differentiation, tumor angiogenesis, cell invasion, and metastasis. Despite the data establishing Id1 as a critical factor for lung metastasis in breast cancer, the pathways and molecular mechanisms of Id1 functions in metastasis remain to be defined.

Air-stable n-type colloidal quantum dot solids.

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) offer promise in flexible electronics, light sensing and energy conversion. These applications rely on rectifying junctions that require the creation of high-quality CQD solids that are controllably n-type (electron-rich) or p-type (hole-rich). Unfortunately, n-type semiconductors made using soft matter are notoriously prone to oxidation within minutes of air exposure.

Measurement and interpretation of electrocardiographic QT intervals in murine hearts.

Alterations in ECG QT intervals correlate with the risk of potentially fatal arrhythmias, for which transgenic murine hearts are becoming increasingly useful experimental models. However, QT intervals are poorly defined in murine ECGs. As a consequence, several different techniques have been used to measure murine QT intervals.

[Detection of somatic mutations in deteriorated cell of peritoneal mesothelioma by whole genome sequencing].

Objective: To detect the somatic mutations in peritoneal mesothelioma with whole genome sequencing technique.

Methods: Surgically resected cancer and pericancerous tissue samples from one patient with peritoneal mesothelioma were obtained. The whole genome sequences of tumor tissue and pericancerous tissue were examined by the second generation sequencing technique and compared with reference sequences from human genome database.

Altered sinoatrial node function and intra-atrial conduction in murine gain-of-function Scn5a+/ΔKPQ hearts suggest an overlap syndrome.

Mutations in SCN5A, the gene encoding the pore-forming subunit of cardiac Na(+) channels, cause a spectrum of arrhythmic syndromes. Of these, sinoatrial node (SAN) dysfunction occurs in patients with both loss- and gain-of-function SCN5A mutations. We explored for corresponding alterations in SAN function and intracardiac conduction and clarified possible mechanisms underlying these in an established mouse long QT syndrome type 3 model carrying a mutation equivalent to human SCN5A-ΔKPQ.

An open CAM system for dentistry on the basis of China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool and industrial CAM software.

China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool and domestically developed industrial computer-aided manufacture (CAM) technology were used for full crown fabrication and measurement of crown accuracy, with an attempt to establish an open CAM system for dental processing and to promote the introduction of domestic dental computer-aided design (CAD)/CAM system. Commercially available scanning equipment was used to make a basic digital tooth model after preparation of crown, and CAD software that comes with the scanning device was employed to design the crown by using domestic industrial CAM software to process the crown data in order to generate a solid model for machining purpose, and then China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool was used to complete machining of the whole crown and the internal accuracy of the crown internal was measured by using 3D-MicroCT. The results showed that China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool in combination with domestic industrial CAM technology can be used for crown making and the crown was well positioned in die.

Effects of Bushen Tongmai Recipe on protein kinase Balpha expression in polycystic ovary rats with insulin resistance.

Objective: To observe the effects of Bushen Tongmai Recipe (, BSTMR) on mRNA and protein expressions of protein kinase B alpha (PKB alpha) in hepatic, adipose, muscular, and ovarian tissues of polycystic ovary (PCO) rats with insulin resistance (IR) and to explore the possible molecular mechanism of BSTMR in treating IR and ovulation dysfunction.

Methods: Female 22-day-old SD rats were injected subcutaneously with sodium prasterone sulfate (9 mg.100g(-1).

[The effect of ERK signaling pathway on cell apoptosis in airway smooth muscle cells of chronic asthmatic rats].

Aim: To investigate the effect of ERK signaling pathway on apoptosis of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) in chronic asthmatic rats.

Methods: Thirty Wistar rats were assigned to two groups: control group (A group, n = 15)and chronic asthmatic group (B group, n = 15). The apoptosis of ASMCs were detected by Situ end labeling and Annexin-V FITC PI double staining.

RNA interference therapy for glioblastoma.

Importance Of The Field: Despite numerous advances made during the last decade in brain tumor therapy, the prognosis of glioblastoma has not improved and these tumors inevitably recur with no effective treatment. Thus, any new therapeutic strategy to target this most malignant tumor will be of significant benefit. RNAi is a powerful gene silencing method that might be used in combination with other agents to improve the efficacy of glioblastoma treatment.

The association between RASSF1 gene polymorphisms and lung cancer susceptibility among people in Hubei Province of China.

The relationship between Ala/Ser polymorphism in 133 codon of exon 3 region of the RASSF1 gene and genetic susceptibility of lung cancer in Hubei province Han population was investigated by a case-control study. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique was adopted to analyze the polymorphism of codon 133 of exon 3 in the RASSF1 gene of 100 pathologically diagnosed lung cancer patients, and 100 healthy controls. The relationship between different genotypes and the susceptibility of lung cancer was analyzed.

[Efficacy of velopharyngoplasty for treating obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the indication, efficacy and influencing factors of velopharyngoplasty for treating of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Method: Thirty OSAHS patients were included in this study, all cases had velopharyngoplasty. The follow-up period was between 6 to 11 months; and a series of measurements parameters was analysed for thirty cases.

Effect of CD133/prominin-1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide on in vitro growth characteristics of Huh-7 human hepatocarcinoma cells and U251 human glioma cells.

The stem cell marker CD133/prominin-1, is a pentaspan membrane glycoprotein, which has also been identified as a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker in several solid tumor types, including those of the prostate, liver, colon and brain. The function of CD133 in these tumors is still unknown. We hypothesize that the function of CD133 is correlated with the characteristics of the CD133+ CSCs and may affect the growth of the tumor cell population as a whole.

[Histone modification and its application in therapy for hematologic malignancies -- review].

Histone modification is an important mechanism in oncogenesis and development of hematologic malignancies. Acetylation of lysine residues on histones and opening chromatin are correlated with activation of genes, whereas lysine residues methylation can result in either activation or repression on expressions of chromatin. The main point of all is deacetylation of histone mediated by histone deacetylases (HDACs).