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In some cancer cell lines, the gene encoding activin A (inhibinβA[INHBA]) is over-expressed and enhances cancer proliferation. Protein levels of activin A and follistatin were assessed in glioblastoma and normal brain tissues in this study, and the effect of activin A and follistatin treatment on the proliferation of U87 human glioblastoma cells in vitrowas also studied. High levels of activin A were observed in glioblastomas compared with normal brain tissue. In contrast, follistatin levels were similar between the two tissues. [3H]Thymidine assay showed that activin A (3–30 ng/ml) produced a dose-dependent increase in DNA synthesis of U87 cells compared with controls. Flow cytometric analyses showed that activin A increased the proliferative index of U87 cells compared with controls. Activin A also induced up-regulation of p-SMAD2/3 in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of U87 cells with follistatin blocked these activin A-induced effects. The disequilibrium between activin A and follistatin may play a role in the development of glioblastoma.

We have designed experiments to study the effect of gravel and sand on different labels of concrete. The result show that the compressive strength can be improved by increasing the proportion of mortar in low-grade concrete and increasing the proportion of stone in high-grade concrete. Tests showed that the powder of gravel and sand can significantly improve the mixing performance of concrete. The correlation of performance indicators with the strength of fresh concrete was also analyzed. The results in this research have important guiding significance for the design of concrete mix ratio and the application of powder in concrete.