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Very recently, half-hydrogenated germanene has been achieved in an experiment. In this paper, we investigate the effects of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) molecular adsorption and strain on the electronic properties of half-hydrogenated germanene through first-principles. As an electron-acceptor molecule, TCNQ is exploited to non-covalently functionalize the half-hydrogenated germanene. However, this physical adsorption induces a ferromagnetic semiconductor–metal transition in half-hydrogenated germanene due to charge transfer from the substrate to the TCNQ molecule. More importantly, the superstructure of half-hydrogenated germanene/TCNQ is extremely sensitive to biaxial tensile strain. Under the biaxial tensile strain of 0.25%, the ferromagnetic semiconductor–metal transition induced by molecular adsorption can surprisingly be overturned. Meanwhile, a strong p-type doping is exhibited. Remarkably, it would return from a ferromagnetic semiconductor to a metal again when the biaxial tensile strain increases to 1.5%. Our analysis based on the structural and electronic properties of half-hydrogenated germanene/TCNQ indicates that such metal–semiconductor–metal transition in half-hydrogenated germanene/TCNQ under biaxial tensile strain may originate from the strong local deformation, resulting in the energy of the valence band maximum decreasing below or increasing above the Fermi level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be vital in tumor progression. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common type of fatal primary liver cancers worldwide. This study aims to determine whether lncRNA SNHG7 (small nucleolar RNA host gene 7) functions in the metastasis of HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to detect the SNHG7 expression in HCC cells and tissue samples. Moreover, function assays were performed in vitro to identify the role of SNHG7 in metastasis of HCC cells. Western blot assay was used to explore the possible mechanism. RESULTS: SNHG7 expression was remarkably higher in HCC tissues than that in adjacent tissues. Moreover, HCC migration and invasion were suppressed after silence of SNHG7 in HCC cells. Moreover, after silence of SNHG7, RBM5 was upregulated in HCC cells. Besides, the expression of RBM5 in tumor tissues was negatively correlated to the expression of SNHG7. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that SNHG7 could promote cell invasion and migration in HCC cells through downregulating RBM5, which may offer a new therapeutic intervention for HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "Long noncoding RNA SNHG7 represses the expression of RBM5 to strengthen metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma" which appeared in the 2020 issue.

Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) is a complex and well-elaborated biological process whereby synchronized cell proliferation is induced in response to the loss of liver mass. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signaling, which plays a crucial role in normal growth and development, is involved in the process of liver regeneration. To assess the changes in the levels of serum IGF1 and hepatic IGF1 receptor (IGF1R), we established a mouse model for PH. This also allowed us to further explore the mechanisms that participate in the regulation of liver regeneration. Serum IGF1 dramatically decreased immediately after PH, and was mildly elevated afterwards. This was also confirmed in patients who had undergone PH. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting showed that hepatic IGF1R expression was elevated after surgery in mice. Hepatosomatic index showed a mild elevation 1 week after surgery and a marked elevation after 3 weeks. Western blotting showed increased levels of forkhead box O3 (FOXO3), but the phosphorylated forms of v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (AKT1), glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3B) and FOXO3 were all downregulated. Our data show that the GSK3B-FOXO3 pathway is activated after PH, and this may be one of the mechanisms that lead to upregulation of hepatic IGF1R after PH. All these changes after surgery promote liver regeneration.

Objective: To describe diseases that may present with the reversed halo sign (RHS) on high-resolution CT, and therefore to improve the recognition of this thoracic radiological feature. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the HRCT scans and medical records of 5 patients who presented with RHS on chest CT from Peking University Third Hospital. With "reversed halo sign, fairy ring, atoll sign" as the Chinese and English keywords, 420 cases from the literatures were also reviewed through PubMed, Wanfang and CNKI databases until August 2015. Results: The 5 patients were all males, aging 19-55 years. The diagnosis of the diseases included cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (patient 1), pulmonary tuberculosis (patient 2), pulmonary infarction (patient 3), pulmonary edema (patient 4) and mycoplasma pneumonia (patient 5). Literature review showed that RHS was observed in 206 cases of infectious pulmonary diseases and 219 cases of noninfectious pulmonary diseases. Invasive fungal infection (including 59 cases of mucormycosis and 27 aspergillosis) and pulmonary tuberculosis (79 cases) predominated in infectious pulmonary diseases. However, in non-infectious pulmonary diseases, RHS was most frequently observed in organizing pneumonia (66%), sarcoidosis, lung cancer, pulmonary infarction, pulmonary edema and other interstitial lung diseases. There were some differences in the morphologic findings of RHS among invasive fungal infection, pulmonary tuberculosis and organizing pneumonia. In addition, our patient with mycoplasma pneumonia was the first case reported to present with RHS on HRCT. Conclusions: Although a wide spectrum of pulmonary diseases may present with RHS on chest CT, this sign is still a characteristic thoracic radiological feature, which is more commonly found in organizing pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis and invasive fungal infection, and is helpful in differential diagnosis.