Search

INTRODUCTION: GINS2 exerts a carcinogenic effect in multiple human malignancies, while it is still unclear that the potential roles and underlying mechanisms of GINS2 in HNSCC. METHODS: TCGA database was used to screen out genes with significant differences in expression in HNSCC. Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were used to measure the expression of GINS2 in HNSCC tissues and cells. GINS2 was detected by qRT-PCR or western blot after knockdown or overexpression. Celigo cell counting, MTT, colony formation, and flow cytometric assay were used to check the ability of proliferation and apoptosis. Bioinformatics and microarray were used to screen out the downstream genes of GINS2. RESULTS: GINS2 in HNSCC tissues and cells was up-regulated, which was correlated with poor prognosis. GINS2 gene expression was successfully inhibited and overexpressed in HNSCC cells. Knockdown of GINS2 could inhibit proliferation and increase apoptosis of cells. Meanwhile, overexpression of GINS2 could enhance cell proliferation and colony formation. Knockdown of RRM2 may inhibit HNSCC cell proliferation, while overexpression of RRM2 rescued the effect of reducing GINS2 expression. CONCLUSION: Our study reported the role of GINS2 in HNSCC for the first time. The results demonstrated that in HNSCC cells, GINS2 promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis via altering RRM2 expression. Therefore, GINS2 might play a carcinogen in HNSCC, and become a specific promising therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key to food security is increasing rice yield. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to analyse and identify the effects of plant height (PH), effective tiller number (ETN), heading date (HD) and grain weight per plant (GWPP) on rice yield using 1,220,522 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 168 rice accessions. The PH, ETN, HD, and GWPP phenotypes of the 168 rice accessions were analysed in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and an abundance of phenotypic variation was found. One QTL for PH was detected on chromosome 4, one QTL for ETN on chromosome 11, two QTLs for GWPP on chromosome 2, and one QTL for HD on chromosome 5, all of which were detected in 3 years of the study period through a general linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM). We detected two QTLs related to the traits by using multi-trait GWAS. In addition, we identified four novel genes responsible for rice yield. Haplotype analysis indicated that LOC_Os02g07680 was highly associated with GWPP, LOC_Os11g18570 was highly associated with ETN, LOC_Os04g49210 was highly associated with HD, and LOC_Os05g34600 was highly associated with PH. The results provide important genetic information for PH, ETN, HD and GWPP studies, laying the foundation for increasing rice yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining of favorable SNP loci and haplotypes is of great significance for the further cloning and molecular-assisted breeding of alkalinity-tolerance genes in rice. To improve the utilization rate of saline–alkaline lands and the yield of rice, we used the 1,322,884 SNPs obtained from the sequencing 173 of rice accessions in this study. Alkalinity-tolerance-related traits, including the germination energy (GE), germination rate (GR), seedling length (SL), root length (RL), relative alkaline damage rate (RADR) of the GERADR of the GR, RADR of the SL and RADR of the RL, were evaluated in 2019 and 2020 and revealed abundant phenotypes in the studied population. A genome-wide association analysis detected 10 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to alkalinity tolerance. In addition, a transcriptome sequencing analysis of the alkalinity-tolerant rice variety 'Yuedao 9' and the alkali-sensitive rice variety 'Tijin' under alkalinity stress and control conditions was performed. Three candidate genes that were predicted to be related to alkalinity tolerance in rice, namely LOC_Os06g06600, LOC_Os011g44680 and LOC_Os011g44600, were screened based on gene annotation, coding sequences and haplotype analysis. The results of this study provide important genetic information for the molecular improvement of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA)–microRNA (miRNA) interaction network plays a crucial part in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Here, we discovered a relationship between LINC01376 and miR‐4757 in NPC tumor development. First, LINC01376 was abnormally overexpressed in NPC tissues and cells, and its elevated expression was associated with advanced clinical stage and shorter distant metastasis‐free survival time. Moreover, biological experiments showed that LINC01376 facilitated the proliferative, invasive, and migratory abilities of NPC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, bioinformatics and RT‐qPCR assays revealed that LINC01376 knockdown upregulated the expression level of downstream miR‐4757, including miR‐4757 primary transcript (pri‐miR‐4757) and mature miR‐4757. Furthermore, LINC01376 competitively sponged the transcription factor SP1 and reduced its enrichment in the upstream promoter region of miR‐4757 to repress miR‐4757 expression. Finally, insulin‐like growth factor 1(IGF1) was identified as the target of miR‐4757. Rescue experiments indicated that LINC01376 accelerated NPC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the miR‐4757‐5p/IGF1 axis. In conclusion, the SP1/miR‐4757/IGF1 axis, which is regulated by LINC01376 in NPC deterioration and metastasis, is expected to provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of NPC carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining salt tolerance genes is significant for breeding high-quality salt-tolerant rice varieties in order to improve the utilization of saline–alkaline land. In this study, 173 rice accessions were measured for their germination potential (GP), germination rate (GR), seedling length (SL), root length (RL), germination potential relative to salt damage rate (GPR), germination rate relative to salt damage rate (GRR), seedling length relative to salt damage rate (SLR), relative salt damage rate at the germination stage (RSD) and comprehensive relative salt damage rate in the early seedling stage (CRS) under normal and salt stress conditions. Genome-wide association analysis was performed with 1,322,884 high-quality SNPs obtained by resequencing. Eight quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to salt tolerance traits at the germination stage were detected in 2020 and 2021. They were related to the GPR (qGPR2) and SLR (qSLR9), which were newly discovered in this study. Three genes were predicted as salt tolerance candidate genes: LOC_Os02g40664, LOC_Os02g40810, and LOC_Os09g28310. At present, marker-assisted selection (MAS) and gene-edited breeding are becoming more widespread. Our discovery of candidate genes provides a reference for research in this field. The elite alleles identified in this study may provide a molecular basis for cultivating salt-tolerant rice varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teleoperation can assist people to complete various complex tasks in inaccessible or high-risk environments, in which a wearable hand exoskeleton is one of the key devices. Adequate adaptability would be available to enable the master hand exoskeleton to capture the motion of human fingers and reproduce the contact force between the slave hand and its object. This paper presents a novel finger exoskeleton based on the cascading four-link closed-loop kinematic chain. Each finger has an independent closed-loop kinematic chain, and the angle sensors are used to obtain the finger motion including the flexion/extension and the adduction/abduction. The cable tension is changed by the servo motor to transmit the contact force to the fingers in real time. Based on the finger exoskeleton, an adaptive hand exoskeleton is consequently developed. In addition, the hand exoskeleton is tested in a master–slave system. The experiment results show that the adaptive hand exoskeleton can be worn without any mechanical constraints, and the slave hand can follow the motions of each human finger. The accuracy and the real-time capability of the force reproduction are validated. The proposed adaptive hand exoskeleton can be employed as the master hand to remotely control the humanoid five-fingered dexterous slave hand, thus, enabling the teleoperation system to complete complex dexterous manipulation tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO) releasing vascular graft is promising due to its merits of thromboembolism reduction and endothelialization promotion. In this study, keratin‐based NO donor of S‐nitrosated keratin (KSNO) was blended with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and further crosslinked with sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) to afford PVA/KSNO biocomposite films. These films could release NO sustainably for up to 10 days, resulting in the promotion of HUVECs growth and the inhibition of HUASMCs growth. In addition, these films displayed good blood compatibility and antibacterial activity. Taken together, these films have potential applications in vascular grafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shape of the rice flag leaf affects rice yield. Therefore, the detection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and alleles related to rice flag leaf shape is of great significance for rice yield improvement. Therefore, in 2019 and 2020, we carried out a genome-wide association study of flag leaf length (FLL), flag leaf width (FLW), flag leaf length–width ratio (FLR), and flag leaf area (FLA), considering 1.3 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 173 rice accessions, in order to investigate the effects of various genes on flag leaf shape. An abundance of phenotypic variation was found, with respect to the four flag leaf shape parameters of these accessions. We identified one significant SNP position associated with FLL and FLR on chromosome 5 and one significant SNP position associated with FLW on chromosome 2, which were detected in both of the two years of the study period through general linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM). Furthermore, three candidate genes—LOC_Os02g56760, LOC_Os05g34380, and LOC_Os05g34600—were found to possibly be significantly related to flag leaf shape in rice. Haplotype analysis indicated that LOC_Os05g34380 is highly associated with flag leaf length and flag leaf length–width ratio, LOC_Os05g34600 is highly associated with flag leaf length, and LOC_Os02g56760 is highly associated with flag leaf width. Our results provide important genetic information for the molecular improvement of rice flag leaf shape, laying the foundation for further cloning and molecular-assisted breeding of flag leaf genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most critical resource to promote the continuous growth of economic volume, human resources are indispensable to the development of the industry. With the development of market economy and the improvement of people's pursuit of quality of life, the time of talent flow is increasing, which forms the social network of human capital. As a new stock, human capital social network can have an impact on individual thoughts or behaviors. This paper with a recruitment website workers repeatedly changes employment resume as the research object and uses literature research and empirical analysis based on human capital social network model analysis for the industry distribution of employment analysis and discussion. The results show that the IT internet industry in labor cross-industry network has high resource control and information advantage and has large correlation with other industries; traditional industry is limited; construction, leasing, and business services, electricity, heat, coal, and water flow frequency are the lowest; and the network structure is more stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies with high mortality worldwide. It is known that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. This study investigates the role of lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 in gastric cancer cells. Methods. We have applied real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to study the levels of ZNF667-AS1 in gastric cancer biopsies and cell lines. The effects of ZNF667-AS1 on the propagation, clonogenicity, metastasis, and angiogenesis of gastric cancer cells were evaluated by calorimetry, colony formation, cell migration, and angiogenesis assays. Western blotting was used to identify the levels of proteins involved in cancer invasion and angiogenesis signaling pathways. Result. It was found that lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 was downregulated in gastric cancer biopsies. Overexpression of ZNF667-AS1 reduced the propagation, migration, and angiogenesis of gastric cancer cells. Molecular mechanism studies displayed that the high level of lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 promoted the expression of E-cadherin and inhibited the expression of N-cadherin and VEGFA, leading to the inhibition of the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of gastric cancer cells. Conclusion. As a tumor suppressor gene, lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 significantly hinders the propagation, metastasis, and angiogenesis of gastric cancer cells by promoting the expression of E-cadherin and inhibiting the expression of N-cadherin and VEGFA. Therefore, lncRNA ZNF667-AS1 could play a synergistic therapeutic role by targeting tumor cells and vascular endothelial cells, which represents a new therapeutic scheme for novel therapeutics of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of postoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) covering partial regional lymph node areas combined with chemotherapy for locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. Methods: This was a single-center, single-arm phase II clinical trial that began in 2014. Patients who underwent radical transthoracic resection within 3 months and were histologically confirmed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (pT3-4 or N+, M0 determined according to AJCC Guidelines, Edition 7) were recruited. Postoperative radiotherapy was performed with a total dose of 50.4Gy in 28 fractions using IMRT. Clinical target volumes (CTVs) included tumor bed, anastomosis, bilateral supraclavicular region, and superior mediastinal lymph nodes. Synchronous chemotherapy for 2 cycles (paclitaxel 150mg/m2, day1; Cisplatin 25mg/m2, day1-3; every 4 weeks), followed by 2 cycles of consolidation chemotherapy with the same regimen. The primary endpoint was the 2-year local control rate, and the secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and adverse events (AEs). Results: A total of 75 eligible patients were included from 2014 to 2017. The 2-year LRFS rate, as the primary endpoint, was 73.3%. The 1-year and 3-year OS rates were 88.0% and 68.0%, respectively. Local recurrence occurred in 13/75 (17.4%) patients, of which 2.7% (2/75) were extra-target lymph nodes. Grade 4 adverse events reported in this study included 10 cases (13.3%) of neutropenia, 1 case (1.3%) of anemia, and 2 cases (2.7%) of thrombocytopenia, without toxic-related deaths. Almost all (96%) patients completed the entire postoperative radiotherapy course, and 62 (82.7%) patients completed at least 2 cycles of chemotherapy. Conclusion: Postoperative IMRT (clinical target volume including tumor bed, anastomosis, bilateral supraclavicular region, and superior mediastinal lymph nodes) combined with synchronous chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was well tolerated, with a high local control rate and a low probability of recurrence outside the irradiation field. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ChiCTR1900022689. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This trial aims to explore the efficacy and safety of involved-field irradiation (IFI) combined with paclitaxel plus cisplatin as concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), under the premise of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).Methods: Enrolled patients with locally advanced ESCC were treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy. IFI was administered adopting IMRT and the total dose was 61.2 Gy delivered in 34 fractions. On the first day of radiotherapy, the patients were treated with paclitaxel and cisplatin one cycle per month for 2 cycles followed by the same regimen in consolidation chemotherapy for two cycles. The primary endpoint of the study was the 2-year locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rate, and secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety.Results: Between January 2018 and September 2020, 108 patients participated in the trial. 78.7% (85/108) of patients completed all 4 cycles of chemotherapy. The median follow-up of the surviving patients was 33.9 months (interquartile range, 29.2-41.1). The 2-year LRFS rate, as the primary endpoint, was 64.2%. In addition, the median PFS was 39.2 months, and 1-year and 3-year OS rates of 88.0% and 63.3%, respectively. Among the patients, out-of-field regional failure was seen in only 7 (6.5%) patients. Neutropenia grade 3 and 4 occurred in 21.3% and 37.0% of the patients, respectively.Conclusions: IFI using IMRT combined with paclitaxel and cisplatin concurrent chemotherapy for locally advanced ESCC yields encouraging local control and overall survival, but high hematological toxicity. Trial registration Clinical Trials ChiCTR1800017039. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, the development of high‐throughput sequencing technology has promoted the rapid development of circRNA‐related research. Studies have found that circRNA plays a key role in a variety of tumors, but few people study the role of circRNA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Under comprehensive treatments, the 5‐year survival rate can reach about 70%, but some patients still have distant metastases or recurrences after treatment. Therefore, it is very important to study the molecular mechanisms of the proliferation and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: QRT‐PCR was applied to detect the relative expression level of circFOXM1 in NPC and nasopharyngeal epithelial cell lines. We knocked down circFOXM1 and studied the influence of circFOXM1 on NPC cells. Nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA isolation experiments, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), bioinformatics analysis, the dual‐luciferase reporter experiment, Western Blot, and other experiments were conducted to verify the relationships among circFOXM1, miR‐136‐5p, and SMAD2. We collected clinical NPC samples to prove the effect of circFOXM1 on the prognosis and treatment of NPC. Results: In this study, we found that circFOXM1 is highly expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue cells compared with adjacent normal tissues and is related to the staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. High expression of circFOXM1 indicates a poor prognosis for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Knockdown of CircFOXM1 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Conclusion: CircFOXM1 promotes the malignant proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by regulating the miR‐136‐5p‐SMAD2 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to appraise the impact of the changing national childbirth policy since 2002, currently allowing two children per family, on obstetric workload in a regional referral center in China.Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, temporal changes were examined in relation with maternal demographics, incidence of women with high risk pregnancies and resource statistics in our hospital in managing singleton viable pregnancies (birth from 28 weeks gestational age onwards) for the period 2005-2017.Results: During this 13-year period, the number of singleton livebirths from 28 weeks gestational age onwards was 49,479. Annual numbers of births increased from 1,941 to 2005 to 5,777 in 2017. There were concomitant and significant increases in the incidence of multiparous women (10.6-50.8 %), of age ≥35 years (6.5-24.3 %), with prior caesarean Sec. (2.6-23.6 %), with ≥3 previous pregnancy terminations (1.0-4.9 %), with pre-gestational diabetes (0.2-0.9 %), and with chronic hypertension (0.2-1.2 %). There were associated increases in beds and staff complement and reduced average hospital stay. Nevertheless, while the workload of medical staff remained stable with increasing staff complement, that of midwives increased significantly as reflected by the total births: midwife ratio which increased from 194.1:1 to 320.9:1 (p < 0.001).Conclusions: In our hospital, progressively increasing numbers of annual births in combination with an increased incidence of women with high risk pregnancies took place following the revised national childbirth policy. Only the increase in medical and nursing, but not midwifery, staff was commensurate with workload. Remedial measures are urgently required before the anticipated progressive increase in care demand would overwhelm maternity care with potentially disastrous consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from the perspectives of dental residents in Wuhan, the former COVID-19 epicenter of China.Methods: A survey form was sent to 424 residents in the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University (WHUSS) in September 2020. The form included 23 questions on demographics, study situation of residents during the COVID-19 outbreak, effect of COVID-19 on graduates, and status of residents who returned to clinic training.Results: A total of 361 (85%) survey forms were collected. Over 70% of respondents felt anxious during Wuhan lockdown. Most respondents continued studying (94%) mainly through free online resources (79%). The majority reported improvement in didactic knowledge (80%), but the respondents' perceptions of their clinical skills, especially those in Wuhan, did not change (41%) or worsened (40%) (p < 0.05). Most graduates (88%) reported having found jobs or continued study. Among the 209 responders who returned to clinical training, 52% felt no concern about COVID-19 infection, 89% thought they were equipped with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), and 57% indicated that they received sufficient knowledge for preventing COVID-19 in clinic. Most respondents agreed that the way to gain the knowledge for preventing COVID-19 in clinic was training at dental school (93%).Conclusion: Although online study has been appreciated by residents, concern about clinical skill learning in the COVID-19 hardest-hit area has arisen. Most graduates felt that the impact of COVID-19 on their immediate postgraduation career was limited. Teaching about infection control in dental schools seemed effective to develop a positive attitude for residents after they returned to clinical training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chinese population has a high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the impact of which on pregnancy outcome remains controversial. A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed in Kunming, a multi-ethnic city in south-western China to examine this issue.Methods: The singleton pregnancies delivering at ≥28 weeks gestation under our care in 2005-2017 constituted the study cohort. Maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcome were compared between mothers with and without seropositivity for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) determined at routine antenatal screening.Results: Among the 49,479 gravidae in the cohort, the 1624 (3.3%) HBsAg seropositive gravidae had a lower incidence of nulliparity (RR 0.963, 95% CI 0.935-0.992) and having received tertiary education (RR 0.829, 95% CI 0.784-0.827). There was no significant difference in the medical history, pregnancy complications, or labor or perinatal outcome, except that HBV carriers had significantly lower incidence of labor induction (RR 0.827, 95% CI 0.714-0.958) and of small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants (RR 0.854, 95% CI 0.734-0.994). On regression analysis, maternal HBV carriage was independently associated with spontaneous labor (aRR 1.231, 95% CI 1.044-1.451) and reduced SGA infants (aRR 0.842, 95% CI 0.712-0.997).Conclusions: Our 3.3% prevalence of maternal HBV infection was around the lower range determined in the Chinese population. The association with spontaneous labor and reduced SGA infants could have helped to promote the perpetuation of the infection through enhanced survival of the offspring infected at birth, thus explaining the high prevalence in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retraction relates to this paper Wu J, Du M, Zhang Q, et al. I Onco Targets Ther i . 2018;11:7483-7492. Specifically, The images for Figure 2E, CNE-2, Migration, si-UCA1 and Invasion, siRNA-NC, have been duplicated with the images for Figure 4C, CNE-2, Migration, Inhibitor NC+si-UCA1 and Inhibitor NC+siRNA-NC, respectively. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: This study was designed to investigate the relationships of serum matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) level and treatment response in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients treated with chemotherapy or concurrent radiotherapy. Methods: Blood samples from ESCC patients after chemotherapy or concurrent radiotherapy were collected at four different intervals. Serum MMP-9 was determined via Luminex assay in 134 patients with chemotherapy, 73 patients with concurrent radiotherapy, and 183 healthy controls. Results: Serum MMP-9 level was significantly higher in patients with ESCC than in healthy controls (P < 0.001). Compared with the pre-treatment, a lower level of serum MMP-9 was maintained at four cycles of treatment in ESCC patients with concurrent radiotherapy (P < 0.001). Serum MMP-9 level was obviously lower in ESCC patients with metastasis after concurrent radiotherapy than after chemotherapy (P < 0.05). Patients with higher MMP-9 level (≥ 820.693 ng/mL) had a shorter mean survival time by 42 months versus lower MMP-9 level (< 820.693 ng/mL) after chemotherapy or concurrent radiotherapy (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Serum MMP-9 is a potential prognostic biomarker for treatment response to chemotherapy or concurrent radiotherapy in terms of overall survival (OS) in ESCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known as key regulators in many cancer types, but their biological functions in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain largely unknown. In the present study, we aim to explore the role of the lncRNA ZNRD1-AS1 in NPC tumor development. Methods: The role of ZNRD1-AS1 in NPC tissues and cells was explored by using quantitative real-time PCR assay. Cellular behavioral experiments were used in testing NPC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation, and Western blot analysis were used in estimating the associations among ZNRD1-AS1, miR-335, and ROCK1. Results: ZNRD1-AS1 expression was elevated in the NPC tissues and cells, and ZNRD1-AS1 overexpression was positively correlated with advanced TNM stage and the presence of lymph node metastasis. Our biological experiments indicated that ZNRD1-AS1 knockdown reduces NPC cell invasion and metastasis. Further analyses revealed that ZNRD1-AS1 as a ceRNA promotes the migration and invasion of NPC cells by sponging miR-335. We provided evidence that ZNRD1-AS1 facilitates the invasion and metastasis of NPC cells via the miR-335–ROCK1 axis. Conclusion: Our data shed light on the oncogenic role of ZNRD1-AS1 in NPC tumor development, and a promising therapeutic target for NPC was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mounting evidence has reported that microRNA-154-5p (miR-154-5p) is involved in the development of multiple cancers, but its function in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains not well investigated. Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect miR-154-5p expression in NPC tissues and cells. CCK8, colony formation, wound healing and transwell assays were performed to assess cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Dual-luciferase reporter assays and Western blots were performed to confirm the target gene of miR-154-5p. Rescue experiments were conducted to explore the influence of target gene KIF14 on the functions of miR-154-5p. Xenograft tumor model was conducted to detect the effect of miR-154-5p in vivo. Results: qRT-PCR results revealed that the expression of miR-154-5p was down-regulated in NPC tissues and cell lines compared to normal nasopharyngeal tissues and cell line. Overexpression of miR-154-5p inhibited cell migration and invasion. However, miR-154-5p had no influence on the proliferation of NPC cells. MiR-154-5p overexpression suppressed xenograft tumor metastasis in vivo. Dual-luciferase reporter analysis identified KIF14 as a target gene of miR-154-5p. Rescue experiments showed that knockdown of KIF14 reversed the effect of inhibiting miR-154-5p expression on NPC cell migration and invasion. Conclusion: Taken together, miR-154-5p suppresses tumor migration and invasion by targeting KIF14 in NPC. The newly identified miR-154-5p/KIF14 interaction offers further insights into the progression of NPC, which may represent a novel target for NPC diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most frequent head and neck malignant tumors. Long noncoding RNAs play critical roles in tumorigenesis. Methods: Real‐time quantitative PCR arrays were used to evaluate the expression levels of cytoskeleton regulator RNA (CYTOR) in NPC tissues and cells. Cell counting kit‐8 and colony formation analyses were used to test the NPC cell viability, while wound healing and transwell assays were employed to detect cell invasion and migration ability. Luciferase reporter assay and Western blot analyses were employed to explore the relationships among CYTOR, miR‐613, and ANXA2. Results: We found that CYTOR expression was elevated both in NPC tissues and cells. Functional assays revealed that CYTOR promoted the invasion and migration of NPC cells. The established spontaneous lymph node metastasis model also confirmed that CYTOR promoted NPC cell metastasis in vivo. Mechanically, we found that the subcellular localization of CYTOR mostly occurred in the cell cytoplasm. Luciferase reporter and RIP assays confirmed that CYTOR functioned as the molecular sponge of miR‐613. Subsequent experiments confirmed that ANXA2 was directly targeted by miR‐613. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function studies further confirmed that CYTOR induced the upregulation of ANXA2 by competitively binding to miR‐613, thus leading to NPC metastasis. Conclusion: Our results highlight the importance of CYTOR in NPC development and provide new insights into potential therapeutic targets for NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), capable of direct invasion and early metastasis, exhibits high mortality. Identification of the molecular basis driving ESCC progression and development of new diagnostic biomarkers are urgently needed. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 3 (CDKN3) performs crucial roles in the modulation of tumor development. The present study aimed to explore the functions and underlying mechanism of CDKN3 in regulating ESCC cell proliferation and invasion. The expression levels of CDKN3 in ESCC cells were evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Cell counting kit-8 and colony forming assays were used to evaluate cell viability. Wound-healing assay was performed to explore cell migration. Transwell invasion analysis was conducted to investigate the invasive capacity of ESCC cells. Protein levels were detected by western blot assay. The results demonstrated that the expression of CDKN3 was significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues, as predicted using the UALCAN and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. PCR and western blot assays confirmed that CDKN3 was upregulated in ESCC cell lines. Functional assays revealed that CDKN3 knockdown with small interfering RNA decreased the ability of ESCC cells to proliferate, invade and migrate and suppressed G1/S transition. Further mechanistic analyses demonstrated that CDKN3 promoted cell proliferation and invasion by activating the AKT signaling pathway in ESCC cells. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to identify the functions of CDKN3 in ESCC and provide evidence that CDKN3 regulates tumor progression by activating the AKT signaling pathway. Therefore, CDKN3 may serve as a potential effective therapeutic target for ESCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We, the Editor, Publisher, and Authors of Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine and Biotechnology, have retracted the following article: Qian Li, Xia He, Qiao Yu, Yuan Wu, Mingyu Du, Jing Chen, Fanyu Peng, Wenjun Zhang, Jie Chen, Yan Wang, Hanbo Chen, Hairong Wang, Dan He & Qiang Wang. (2019). The Notch signal mediates macrophage polarization by regulating miR-125a/miR-99b expression. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology. 47:1, 833-843, DOI: We are now cognizant that substantially similar images from this article were first published in Cancer Research. When asked, the Authors were cooperative and confirmed that the wrong images had been submitted. Further internal investigation of this article also revealed issues with the rigor of the editorial process, and therefore we have collectively agreed to retract the article. We have been informed in our decision-making by the guidance of COPE guidelines on retractions The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as "Retracted". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) is oncogenic and dysregulated in various malignancies. Complex networks involving microRNAs (miRNAs) and E2F3 regulate tumorigenesis and progression. However, the potential roles of E2F3 and its target miRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are rarely reported. Methods: E2F3 expression was detected in human NPC tissues and cell lines through quantitative real-time PCR. NPC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated in vitro by colony forming, cell counting kit-8, wound healing, and Transwell invasion assays. Publicly available database software was used to explore the target miRNAs of E2F3. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to identify the direct relationship. The function of miRNAs in vivo was investigated by using a tumor xenograft model. Results: E2F3 was upregulated in NPC cell lines and tissues, and its exotic expression promoted NPC cell invasion and migration. E2F3 was identified as a target of miR-432, which restrained NPC cell invasion and migration in vitro and in vivo. Further experiments revealed that miR-432 repressed the invasion and migration potential of NPC cells by modulating E2F3 expression. Conclusion: miRNA-432 suppressed the malignant biological behavior of NPC cells by targeting E2F3. This study provided further insights into NPC prognosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe changed epidemiological features of advanced maternal age (AMA) and to examine the effect of AMA on the risk for Cesarean section (CS) in a Chinese pregnant population. Methods: This retrospective single‐center cohort study investigated the changes of epidemiological features of AMA parturients with respect to the revised reproductive policy in China in 43 702 singleton deliveries with live birth at ≥28 weeks managed from January 2005 to December 2016. We also evaluated the pregnancy outcomes in different age groups and risk factors of CS with multivariate analysis. Results: In this 12‐year study period, the average maternal age increased from 28.5 to 30.2 years, and the proportion of AMA raised from 6.5% to 17.2%. AMA was significantly associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and after adjustment for confounding factors, AMA remained a significant independent risk factor for CS. Furthermore, the effect of AMA in nulliparous women on the risk of CS was more significant than in multiparous women, while the history of previous CS (adjusted odds ratio 39.85) and interdelivery interval ≥10 years (adjusted odds ratio 1.52) also increased the risk of CS in multiparous women. Conclusion: AMA increased the risk of a number of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and was independently associated with increased risk for CS. The increasing number of AMA parturients with risk factors is likely to increase CS rate in China in the near future, thus it is imperative to reduce the rate of primary CS as a matter of policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastasis and invasion are the primary causes of malignant progression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial step of acquisition of "stemness" properties in tumor cells. However, the mechanism of esophageal cancer metastasis remains unclear. This research was designed to explore the role and mechanism of SMAD4 and miR‐130a‐3p in the progression of transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β)‐induced EMT in vivo and in vitro. The expression of miR‐130a‐3p in ESCC cell line and normal esophageal epithelial cell was determined by RT‐qPCR. The protein expression levels of TGF‐β‐induced changes in EMT were analyzed by western blotting and immunofluorescence. Dual‐luciferase report assays were used to validate the regulation of miR‐130a‐3p‐SMAD4 axis. The effect of miR‐130a‐3p and SMAD4 in TGF‐β‐induced migration, invasion in the ESCC cell line EC‐1 was investigated by wound healing assays and Transwell assays. Here we found that knocked down SMAD4 could partially reverse TGF‐β‐induced migration, invasion, and EMT progression in the ESCC cell line EC‐1. miR‐130a‐3p, which directly targets SMAD4, is down‐regulated in ESCC. miR‐130a‐3p inhibits the migration and invasion of EC‐1 cells both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, miR‐130a‐3p inhibits TGF‐β‐induced EC‐1 cell migration, invasion, and EMT progression in a SMAD4‐dependent way. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the mechanism underlying ESCC metastasis. The TGF‐β/miR‐130a‐3p/SMAD4 pathway could be potential targets for clinical treatment of ESCC. We demonstrated that miR‐130a‐3p suppresses the activation of TGF‐β/SMAD4 signal‐induced EMT and the invasion and migration in EC‐1 cell lines by targeting SMAD4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignant tumor characterized by highly malignant local invasion and distant metastasis. Recently, increasing attention has been paid to long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which play significant roles in tumorigenesis and progression. However, little is known about the potential role of the lncRNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) in NPC cell invasion and migration. Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR was used to analyze the expression of lncRNA UCA1 in NPC cell lines and NP69. lncRNA UCA1 knock-down nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line models were established through siRNA. Cell viability was evaluated by Cell counting kit-8 and Colony forming assay. The migration and invasion capacities were evaluated by wound healing and transwell migration and invasion assays. Western blot analysis were used to examine protein changes followed by UCA1 knock-down. Results: Our study confirmed that UCA1 was upregulated in NPC cell lines and involved in NPC tumorigenesis according to our established UCA1-associated competing endogenous RNA network. Moreover, functional analyses indicated that the downregulation of UCA1 exerted inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Mechanistic analyses revealed that UCA1 was the target of miR-145 and functioned as a sponge to repress miR-145 expression. Rescue experiments suggested that lncRNA UCA1 reversed the miR-145-mediated inhibition on oncogene ADAM17 expression, thus promoting the proliferation, invasion, and migration of NPC cells. Conclusion: LncRNA UCA1 functions as a tumor promoter in NPC. UCA1 promotes the proliferation and invasion of NPC cells by sponging miR-145, functionally altering ADAM17 expression targeted by miR-145. Our exploration of the underlying mechanism of UCA1 in NPC may provide novel therapeutic targets for NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]