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Abstract Background Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2C (CDKN2C) was identified to participate in the occurrence and development of multiple cancers; however, its roles in small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) remain unclear. Methods Differential expression analysis of CDKN2C between SCLC and non-SCLC were performed based on 937 samples from multiple centers. The prognosis effects of CDKN2C in patients with SCLC were detected using both Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank tests. Using receiver-operating characteristic curves, whether CDKN2C expression made it feasible to distinguish SCLC was determined. The potential mechanisms of CDKN2C in SCLC were investigated by gene ontology terms and signaling pathways (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes). Based on 10,080 samples, a pan-cancer analysis was also performed to determine the roles of CDKN2C in multiple cancers. Results For the first time, upregulated CDKN2C expression was detected in SCLC samples at both the mRNA and protein levels (p of Wilcoxon rank-sum test 1, p

Objective To investigate the effects of Loropetalum chinense extracts on the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells cultured in vitro. Methods CCK-8 assay was performed to evaluate the effect of Loropetalum chinense extracts on the proliferation of A549 cells, and the clonal growth ability of A549 cells was determined by clone formation assay. Flow cytometry Annexin V-APC/PI double staining was used to measure the apoptosis of A549 cells. Western blot was used to measure the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins Bax, Fas, Bcl-2 Caspase3 and cleaved-Caspase 3. Results Loropetalum chinense extracts significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation of A549 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The viability of A549 cells decreased by 50% after 48h treatment of 0.5mg/ml extracts, and 100% inhibition of colony formation rate achieved when the cells were treated with 40μg/ml extracts for 14 days. When A549 cells were treated with Loropetalum chinense extracts for 24h, apoptotic rates increased in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, the protein levels of Fas, Bax, Caspase3 and cleaved-Caspase3 were up-regulated, while Bcl-2 was down-regulated. Conclusion Loropetalum chinense extracts inhibit the growth of human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro, and the mechanisms may be related to the activation of mitochondrial and death receptor apoptosis pathway.

In the present study, a facile solvothermal method was used for the synthesis of silicotungstic acid (HSiW) immobilized on Ce-based metal organic framework (Ce-BDC) and embedded in Zr-based metal-organic framework (UiO-66(Zr)) composite catalyst, namely, Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 for the production of biodiesel through green fatty acid esterification. The obtained hybrids were characterized by various characterization technologies, including Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 physisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed desorption of NH3 (NH3-TPD) analysis. The characterization analyses showed that the hybrids have been successfully synthesized. Also, the volume and pore size of UiO-66(Zr) were changed by introducing HSiW@Ce-BDC, and the resulting Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 possessed the mesoporous structure and relatively high surface area. Simultaneously, the NH3-TPD analysis of Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 reveals that the acid strength was increased in comparison with HSiW@Ce-BDC. In addition, the composite Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 demonstrated high catalytic activity, and the oleic acid esterification gave 81.5% conversion at optimum conditions of 0.2 g catalysts, 1:30 oleic acid to methanol molar ratio at 130°C for 4 h. More interestingly, after six recycling cycles, the reduction in the conversion rate was only 4.6%, indicating that Ce-BDC@HSiW@UiO-66 has excellent reusability. Our study provides an effective approach to synthesize multifunctional hybrids for green biofuel production.

The main focus of this research work was to study the anti-cancer properties of 7,8-dihydromethysticin against HL-60 leukemia cells. Investigations were also performed to check its impact on the phases of the cell cycle, cell migration and invasion, JAK/STAT signalling pathway and intracellular mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cell proliferation was assessed through 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and effects on colony formation were examined via clonogenic assay. Flow cytometry and Western blott analysis were performed to investigate the distribution of cell cycle phases. Flow cytometric analysis was performed for the examination of MMP and ROS production. The effect on JAK/STAT signalling pathway was examined through Western blot analysis. Results depicted that 7,8-dihydromethysticin induced concentration- as well as time-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation in leukemia HL-60 cells. Clonogenic assay indicated potential suppression in leukemia HL-60 cell colonies. The 7,8-dihydromethysticin molecule also caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M-phase along with concentration-dependent inhibition of cyclin B1, D1 and E. ROS and MMP measurements indicated significant ROS enhancement and MMP suppression with increasing 7,8-dihydromethysticin concentrations. Additionally, 7,8-dihydromethysticin led to remarkable dose-reliant inhibition of cell invasion as well as cell migration. Therefore, 7,8-dihydromethysticin should be considered a valuable candidate for leukemia research and chemoprevention.

Traumatic temporomandibular joint ankylosis refers to fibrous or bony fusion between the condyle and the glenoid fossa. It can cause problems with mouth-opening limitations, mastication difficulties, obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea syndrome. When traumatic temporomandibular joint ankylosis occurs during childhood, it can cause facial asymmetry, micrognathia, and malocclusion, which significantly affect the physical and mental health. Once temporomandibular joint ankylosis occurs, it will be refractory and recurrent. The pathogenesis of temporomandibular joint ankylosis has not been completely elucidated and has always been a research hotspot in the oral and maxillofacial fields. In this paper, worldwide research was conducted, and the pathogenesis of traumatic temporomandibular joint ankylosis was clarified, such as “damage of condyle”,“disc displacement or rupture”,“damage to the glenoid fossa” and “lateral pterygoid muscle distraction”. The relative pathogenesis hypotheses were summarized, such as “hematoma organization” and “lateral pterygoid muscle distraction osteogenesis”. The related pathogenesis of traumatic temporomandibular joint ankylosis was discussed based on the latest cytology and molecular biology research.

Based on Biot's theory of porous media, this paper proposes a coupled vehicle-track-saturated foundation model to study the dynamic responses of saturated soft soil foundation under high-speed train load via two-and-half dimensional finite element method (2.5D FEM). It is found that the ratio of train speed c and soil Darcy permeability kD(c/kD) determines the extent to which maximum excess pore pressures build up in saturated soft soil under the train load when the load speed is lower than the critical speed. For a saturated soil of a particular stiffness, if c/kD is less than or equal to 3×104, the soil can be regarded as highly permeable relating to the load velocity. In this case, almost no excess pore pressure is developed, and the saturated soil can be modeled using a single-phase medium. There is a critical value of c/kD for the development of excess pore pressure, corresponding to which the maximum excess pore pressure increases with increasing c/kD. Above this critical value of c/kD, the maximum excess pore pressure remains independent of c/kD. The amplitude and influencing zone of effective stress are mainly controlled by the train speed and soil permeability for saturated soft soil foundation. The response of displacement is mainly controlled by the train speed. Significant Mach effects have been induced in the saturated soil foundation by the moving train when the train speed reaches or exceeds the critical velocity of the track-foundation system.

A Rb-based fluorotitanate stable narrow band red-emitting phosphor Rb2TiF6:Mn4+ with an internal quantum efficiency of 91% was synthesized through an efficient and mild coprecipitation method. Herein, by simultaneously using H2TiF6 as a Ti source to replace TiO2 and using H2O as a substitute for solvent HF, the total consumption of toxic HF can be effectively reduced in the synthesis processes. Further optimization of phosphors can be achieved by investigating the impact of doping concentration, amount of solvent added and reaction stirring time on the luminescence properties of the phosphors. The crystal structures, morphologies, luminescence performance, thermal stability, moisture resistance, and device performance of the as-synthesized phosphors were systematically investigated. The obtained Rb2TiF6:Mn4+ presents more exceptional luminescence properties, thermal stability and longevity under LED working conditions compared to Rb2ZrF6:Mn4+, and worthy of note, its unmodified moisture resistance is obviously superior to that of other Rb-based fluoride red phosphors. By using Rb2TiF6:Mn4+ as a red-light component, a high-quality LED device with desirable performance (Ra = 89, CCT = 3730 K and LE = 158.8 lm W−1) can be obtained, and the variable drive current and temperature tests revealed that the resultant device exhibits excellent performance, which further demonstrates that Rb2TiF6:Mn4+ has efficient and stable light-emitting properties and can be used to fabricate high power WLEDs with preferable heat resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike conventional central-site doping, herein, abnormally equivalent Mn4+ accommodation in a five-fold coordinated distorted octahedron in the vertical occupation site is reported in fluorotellurate KTeF5:Mn4+. This very unique substitution results in thermally stable (remaining emission of 86.7% at 423 K) and highly purified red emission in KTeF5:Mn4+. Refined contrasts of the coordination environment, crystal field, nephelauxetic effect, temperature-dependent static and dynamic luminescence behavior, and defect mechanism between fluorides with different Mn4+ accommodation models (K2SiF6:Mn4+, K2NaAlF6:Mn4+, KTeF5:Mn4+, K3ZrF7:Mn4+, K2TaF7:Mn4+ and Na3TaF8:Mn4+) are conducted to investigate the local environment dependence of the Mn4+ emission properties. It is found that the emission of KTeF5:Mn4+ might be stabilized by equivalent octahedral Mn4+ accommodation with interstitial defects. These findings reveal the possible effects of special accommodation models on the Mn4+ emission properties, which further enlighten us to explore stable fluoride red phosphors with suitable Mn4+ accommodation for white light-emitting diode applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three isotypic double perovskites A2BAlF6:Mn4+ (A = Rb, Cs; B = K, Rb) were synthesized via a facile co-precipitation method at room temperature. XRD Rietveld refinements and Raman spectra indicate that the neighboring smaller A-site or larger B-site cation in A2BAlF6:Mn4+ lowers structural stability, but suppresses the [AlF6] octahedron to increase the crystal field strength and bond strength of the Al–F bond. Cs2KAlF6:Mn4+ presents a sharp line red light and excellent moisture resistance, but experiences severe thermal quenching. In comparison, altering the A- or B-site cation to Rb, Rb2KAlF6:Mn4+ and Cs2RbAlF6:Mn4+ shows blue shifts in emission and declining water resistance, but enhancements in thermal stability. A combination of static and dynamic emission degradations demonstrates that the water resistance of Mn4+ emission mainly relies on the structural stability of the host matrix; meanwhile, the thermal stability highly depends on the rigidity of its local accommodation. The variations of the temperature-dependent white light-emitting diode (WLED) performances further evidence their sufficient thermal stability for LED applications. These findings suggest that neighboring-cation modulation might be a feasible guideline for exploiting stable Mn4+-activated fluoride red phosphors in warm WLED applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the effects of dimethicone at different doses in bowel preparation for small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) and explore the optimal dose for the examination. Methods A multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) was carried out on 132 patients from 4 different institutions from May 2016 to January 2019. They were randomly divided into 3 groups, with 44 cases in each group. All of them were given 2 liters of polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution orally 6 h before procedure, and then in 30 min before examination, the patients were asked to drink 100 mL pure water, 2.5 g and 5 g 100 mL dimethicone solution for those from group A, B and C, respectively. The primary evaluation indexes included small bowel bubble quantity (SBBQ), small bowel valid picture ratio (SBVPR), small bowel cleaning quality (SBCQ), and the secondary evaluation indexes contained gastric bubble quantity (GBQ), gastric cleaning quality (GCQ), completion rate (CR), diagnostic yield (DY), and small bowel transit time (SBTT) and gastric transit time(GTT) of the capsule. Results The SBBQ of group A was higher than those of the other 2 groups in the proximal, middle and distal segments of small intestine (P0.05). Similar results were seen in the SBIRP in the 3 groups. No statistical significances were found in other indexes among the 3 groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Dimethicone treatment can efficiently decrease intraluminal bubbles and improve the visibility of small bowel mucosa for SBCE, and the optimal dose of dimethicone is 2.5 g.