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NK cells play a role in various cancers, but their role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) still needs to be explored. All public data are obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) database. All analysis was performed using specific packages in R software. In our study, we quantified the immune microenvironment of HNSCC through multiple algorithms. Next, we identified NK cell‐associated genes by quantifying NK cells, including SSNA1, TRIR, PAXX, DPP7, WDR34, EZR, PHLDA1 and ELOVL1. Then, we explored the single‐cell expression pattern of these genes in the HNSCC microenvironment. Univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the EZR, PHLDA1 and ELOVL1 were related to the prognosis of HNSCC patients. Following this, we selected EZR for further analysis. Our results showed that the patients with high EZR expression might have a poor prognosis and worse clinical features. Biological enrichment analysis showed that EZR is associated with many oncogenic pathways and a higher tumour stemness index. Meanwhile, we found that EZR can remodel the immune microenvironment of HNSCC. Moreover, we noticed that EZR could affect the immunotherapy and specific drug sensitivity, making it an underlying clinical target. In summary, our results can improve the understanding of NK cell in HNSCC. Meanwhile, we identified EZR as the underlying clinical target of HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence supports the involvement of autophagy in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play fundamental roles in various cellular processes, including autophagy. However, it remains largely unknown as to how autophagy is regulated by miRNAs and lncRNAs in IDD. Biological functions of miR‐153‐3p and long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA 641 (LINC00641) were investigated. Luciferase reporter assays was done to validate miR‐153‐3p targets. To induce nutritional stress, nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were cultured in the normal nutritional condition and the low nutritional condition. Quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) was used to analyze miR‐153‐3p and LINC00641 in response to nutrient deprivation. Autophagic activity was assessed by transmission electron microscopy, western blot analysis and green fluorescent protein‐light chain 3 puncta. Pull‐down assay and RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization were performed to validate LINC00641 target and the location. MiR‐153‐3p is downregulated in NP tissues from IDD patients. Further, LINC00641 can affect collagen II and matrix metalloproteinase‐3 expressions. Upregulation of LINC00641 and downregulation of miR‐153‐3p are detected in NP cells under nutritional stress. LINC00641 can regulate autophagic cell death by targeting miR‐153‐3p and autophagy‐related gene 5 (ATG5). MiR‐153‐3p inhibits autophagy and IDD by targeting ATG5. More important, LINC00641 targets miR‐153‐3p, and thus affects ATG5 expression, autophagic cell death and IDD. These findings uncover a novel regulatory pathway that is composed of LINC00641, miR‐153‐3p, and ATG5 in IDD. This mechanism may stimulate to a more understanding of IDD pathogenesis and provide new sights for the treatment of this disorder. We demonstrated that long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA 641 (LINC00641) acts as endogenous sponge RNA and inhibits miR‐153‐3p expression and its biological function. Therefore, modulation of LINC00641 may represent a novel treatment paradigm in human IDD. These findings shed new light on the importance of the orchestrated interactions between lncRNAs, miRNAs, and autophagy in maintaining cellular homeostasis and suggest that a disturbance in these networks might lead to diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To discuss the preliminary experience and clinical effects of stent in assisting coiling embolization for intracranial wide-necked aneurysms. Methods Stent-assisted coil embolization was carried out in 26 with 28 intracranial wide- necked aneurysm .The clinical data, treatment methods, results and follow-up results were retrospectively analyzed. The aneurymsms were located at the anterior communicating artery (n=3), at the posterior communicating segment of internal carotid artery (n = 15), at the ophthalmic segment of internal carotid artery (n =6), at the middle cerebral artery (n =4) . Results A total of 28 stents were used to assist coil embolization management of 28 intracranial wide-necked aneurysms, and the technical success rate was 100%. Procedure-related complications occur in three cases, and one of them died. According to Raymond grading for the immediate occlusion result of aneurysm, grade I was obtained in 18 lesions, grade II in 6 and grade III in 4 . Twenty five patients were followed up for 6-51 months (mean 15 months), and no newly-developed neurological dysfunction or re-bleeding was observed during the follow-up period. At three months after the procedure, the level of mRS score was 0-1 in 22 patients and 1-2 in 3 patients. Conclusions Stent-assisted detachable coil embolization is safe and effective in the treatment of intracranial wide-necked aneurymsms. The stent serves as a mechanical scaffold for the placement of aneurysm coils, prevents coil protrusion into the parent artery and may allow safe packing of the aneurysm with a denser coil mesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the efficacy of long- and short-acting triptorelin on pituitary down-regulation in long protocol and the pregnancy outcome in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) . Methods Three hundred and seventeen patients for IVF-ET were enrolled as study and randomized them into two groups. In group A (n = 145), patients received single dose subcutaneous injection of 1.25 mg long-acting diphereline in mid-luteal phase. In group B (n = 172), patients received 0.1 mg/d subcutaneous injection of short-acting diphereline in mid-luteal phase for 14-18 days until pituitary suppression were got, and then reduced to 0.05 mg/d until the injection of HCG. Results The dose and the days of gonadotropin administration in group A were bigger and longer than those in group B (P < 0.05) . There were no significant differences in the number of retrieved oocytes, fertilization rate, high quality embryos, implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate between the two groups (all P > 0.05). But clinical pregnancy rate of group B had increasing trend. Conclusion Administration of short-acting diphereline has the similar effect with that of long-acting diphereline on pituitary down-regulation in long protocol. Short-acting diphereline requires lower amount of gonadotropin and is more flexible, so it should be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of thrombus formation in vivo is complex, which is affected by the platelets, clotting system, and vessels, as well as blood flow. The previous research ways, which were either static or shear stress-mimicking ex vivo, could not reflect the condition in vivo completely. In recent years, The high resolution confocal microscope combined with bioluminescence system was developed which can be used to observe the animal thrombus formation in real time in vivo. By using this system, scientists have gotten a novel knowledge about the thrombus formation. In this review, the operating steps of this system, the hierarchical structure of thrombs revealed by this system and the related mechanism are sammrized briefly.

Lymphadenopathy is an important characteristic of POEMS syndrome, and a Castleman disease (CD)-like pathologic change in the lymph nodes is one of the major diagnostic criteria. However, the characteristics of lymphadenopathy in POEMS still have not been completely elucidated. The lymph node biopsies are available only for a small proportion of patients. A simple and safe way is needed to rule CD in or out. This study aimed to analyse the features of lymphadenopathy and estimate the role of imaging methods, including computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography-CT (PET/CT), in the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy in patients with POEMS syndrome. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 23 patients with confirmed POEMS syndrome. All of the patients received chest and abdominal CT scan and/or superficial ultrasound examinations. Four patients underwent PET/CT examinations, and 6 patients received lymph node biopsies. Enlarged lymph nodes (short diameter ≥ 1 cm) were found in 48% (11/23) of patients, but only 1 patient had an enlarged lymph node with a diameter ≥ 2 cm. Lymph nodes with CD-like pathologic changes from 2 patients showed increased maximum standard uptake values (SUV max ) of 18 F-deoxyglucose ( 18 FDG) on PET/CT, while lymph nodes with reactive pathologic changes from 2 other patients showed a normal metabolic PET/CT profile. The extent of lymph node enlargement in patients with POEMS was less than that in patients with CD per se . We draw the conclusion that most of the enlarged lymph nodes had diameters ≤ 2 cm, which is less than that in cases of CD per se and PET/CT may be helpful in determining whether enlarged lymph nodes are characterized by CD-like changes or not., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2020.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of Carfilzomib on mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and to compare with effect of Bortezomib., Methods: The Jeko-1 cells and primary MCL cells were treated with Carfilzomib for 24, 48 and 72 h, then the inhibitory rate was detected using CCK-8. Lymphocytes derived from healthy volunteer were served as cell controls. Bortezomib and Cyclophosphamide (CTX) were served as medicinal controls. At the same time, the apoptosis of cells treated with different drugs was detected using flow cytometry., Results: The inhibitory effect of Carfilzomib on Jeko-1 cells and primary MCL cells was exhibited with time-dependent and concentration-dependent manners (P＜0.01, r J =0.393, r=0.650, r J J=0.473, r=0.417), but the effect on lymphocytes derived from healthy volunteer only showed time-dependence (P＜0.01, r=0.928). Under the same concentration, Carfilzomib exhibited the proliferation Jeko-1 cells stronger than Bortezomib (P＜0.01), but the same inhibition on primary MCL cells was not significantly different from that on lymphocytes derived from healthy volunteer (P＞0.05). Under clinical recommended concentration, Carfilzomib had a stronger inhibitory effect on primary MCL cells than that of Bortezomib (P＜0.01). Cell apoptosis assay showed that under the same concentration the ability of Carfilzomib to induce cell apoptosis was significantly stronger than that of Bortezomib (P＜0.05)., Conclusion: Carfilzomib can inhibit the growth of MCL cells, its inhibitory rate on the MCL cells is higher than that of Bortezomib.

Objective: To establish 293T cell lines stably expressing Calpain-cleavage related α3 cytoplasmic tail mutants, and to explore the effect of amino acid motifs in integrin β3 cytoplasmic tail on αⅡbβ3-mediated cell function., Methods: 293T cell lines stably co-expressing human wild type integrin αⅡb and full length β3 or mutant β3, including β3-ΔNITY (β3 cytoplasmic tail NITY motif deleted), β3-Δ754 (β3 cytoplasmic tail TNITYRGT motif deleted) and β3-Δ759 (β3 cytoplasmic tail RGT motif deleted) were established. Spreading and adhesion of these stable cell lines on immobilized fibrinogen were tested., Results: 293T-αⅡbβ3ΔNITY, 293T-αⅡbβ3Δ754, 293T-αⅡbβ3Δ759 and 293T-αⅡbβ3 cell lines were successfully established. Compared with the 293T cells, 293T-αⅡbβ3 cells which expressed full β3, possessed well adhesion and spread ability on immobilized fibrinogen, suggesting it can be as a surrogate for platelet. Compared with 293T-αⅡbβ3 cells, the 293T-αⅡbβ3ΔNITY cells showed a partial impairment of adhesion and spreadability on immobilized fibrinogen. while the 293T-αⅡbβ3Δ754 cells and 293T-αⅡbβ3Δ759 cells failed to adhere or spread on immobilized fibrinogen., Conclusion: To the cell spreading function mediated by integrin β3, RGT motif is vital, while NITY can be dispensable. These established 293T cell lines stably expressing different β3 mutants provide a solid basis for a further analysis of mass spectrometry.

According to the water characteristics of industrial rainfall runoff in the catchment of Tongsha Reservoir, Dongguan City, a subsurface-flow constructed wetland (SSFCW) was used to treat simulated rainfall and the spatial variation of removal efficiency of contaminants in the wetland bed was analyzed. The longitudinal and vertical variation of removal efficiency of COD, NH4(+) -N, TN, TP and phenanthrene were examined. Enzyme activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and nitrate reductase (NR) along the wetland bed were analyzed as well, meanwhile, four biogeochemical indexes of the wetland system, including DO, pH, ORP and water temperature, were monitored and their influences on the removal efficiency of contaminants and enzyme activity were analyzed. Results showed that DO, pH, ORP, water temperature all presented a decreasing tendency along the wetland bed, and the removal of COD, TP and phenanthrene occurred mainly in the front quarter of the wetland system; in the vertical direction, DO and ORP in the upper wetland bed were significantly higher than those in the ground floor, suggesting that the horizontal subsurface system was in an anaerobic or anoxic condition. The removal rates of COD, TP, TN, NH4(+) -N and phenanthrene were 1.17-1.36, 2.04-2.11, 1.40-1.92, 1.37-2.30, and 1.07-1.36 times higher than those at the bottom, respectively. Therefore, the vertical variation of purification efficiency was more significant than the longitudinal variation. A significant positive correlation was determined between the enzyme activity of NR and the NO3(-) -N concentration, but the longitudinal variation in the enzyme activity of NR and PPO was not obvious.

According to water characteristics of industrial rain runoff in a catchment of Tongsha reservoir, Dongguan city, an improved baffled constructed wetland (BCW) was used for purification experiment study of simulated and on-the-spot rain runoff. The purification effects of simulated rain runoff were compared in different operated phases of BCW. Meanwhile, the variation of the pollutants (COD, SS, TN, TP, NH4(+) -N, Pb, Zn, Cu) along the BCW and their removal mechanism were analyzed and discussed, respectively. In the simulated experiment, the effluent water quality of BCW system met the needs of Environmental Quality Standard for Surface Water( GB 3838-2002) III, besides TN met IV, and most of the pollutants were removed in the front of the BCW. In the purification study of on-the-spot rain runoff, removal rate of COD, SS, TN, TP and NH4(+) -N were 90.9%, 97.0%, 83.4%, 92.2% and 90.0%, respectively; removal rate of Pb, Zn and Cu were 98.4%, 94.1% and 93.6%, respectively. The effluent met the grade III. Results showed that there was remarkable treatment performance of industrial catchment rain runoff when BCW system was used, which also can withstand strong shock load. Moreover, a modest variation of temperature affected the removal of pollutants in the BCW insignificantly.