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Choriocarcinoma is a rare gestational trophoblastic tumour. Propofol is one of the commonly used intravenous anaesthetic agents and exerts an anti-tumour role in multiple cancers. However, the effect of propofol on choriocarcinoma has not been well explored. We investigated the effect of propofol on JEG-3 cells. The effects of propofol on cell proliferation and metastasis were determined. The expression of miR-495 was suppressed while Twist1 overexpressed. Cell viability, migration and invasion were respectively measured using CCK-8 assay and transwell migration/invasion assay. The expression of miR-495, AKT1 and Twist1 was detected using qRT-PCR. Western blot analysis was performed to assess the expression levels of EMT- and proliferation-related factors, and TGF-β pathway proteins. Propofol treatment significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and reduced the releasing of EMT. miR-495 was up-regulated by profocol, and miR-495 inhibition reversed the effect of propofol on cell proliferation and metastasis in JEG-3 cells. Furthermore, propofol decreased the expression of AKT1 and Twist1 through up-regulating miR-495, and Twist1 participated in the regulation of propofol on TGF-β signalling inactivation in JEG-3 cells. This study demonstrates that propofol suppresses cell proliferation and metastasis through up-regulation of miR-495 and down-regulation of Twist1 in JEG3 cells. Propofol inhibits proliferation and metastasis in JEG-3 cells; miR-495 is up-regulated by propofol in JEG-3 cells; miR-495 suppression blocks the effect of propofol in JEG-3 cells; Propofol decreases Twist1 expression through up-regulating miR-495; Propofol inhibits TGF-β signalling via regulation of Twist1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is an important cash crop with an indeterminate growth characteristic. The labor costs of multiple management practices, including repeated foliar applications of mepiquat chloride (MC) and topdressing with potassium (K) fertilizers, restrict its planting area and benefits. To help address this problem, a field experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of controlled-release potassium chloride containing mepiquat chloride (CRKMC) on soil K forms and cotton yield. CRKMC, 70%CRKMC (30% reduced K dosage), CRK (coated potassium chloride), KCl and no K fertilizer used treatments were carried out. Results showed that MC and K from CRKMC exhibited a trend of slow release, followed by fast release and eventually stabilization. Soils maintained more non-exchangeable K than available K. The contents of all soil K forms for the CRKMC treatment were significantly higher than these for KCl. Plant heights, SPAD values and stem diameters in CRKMC and 70%CRKMC were larger than those in KCl. Cotton yield, K use efficiency and net profit in the CRKMC treatment were increased than KCl. The successive release pattern of MC and K from CRKMC corresponded well to the demands of cotton, sufficiently manipulated the plant canopy and provided adequate K nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first 18 months of data from the FY-3A Total Ozone Unit (FY-3A/TOU) was collected to analyse instrument performance. Retrieval tests were carried out using post-launch calibration coefficients. Validation was analysed at 74 ground-based stations of total ozone network by inter-comparison with AURA/Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) V8 data and comparison with ground-based measurements. The validation results show that the TOU total column ozone has an average root mean square (rms) error of less than 3.1% compared with OMI products, and less than 4.4% compared with ground-based measurements. The solar irradiance is measured continuously, and the post-launch calibration coefficients will be updated only if the change of instrument sensitivity has noticeable influence on the retrieval. The instrument is currently stable. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]