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Objective Melanoma is one of the most aggressive cancers which tends to metastasize beyond the primary site. To block or delay cancer metastasis is critical for melanoma treatment. Curcumin exerts inhibiting the proliferation and metastasis of melanoma, while its anti-metastasis mechanism is not completely understood. Methods The melanoma cell lines A375 and A875 were used in this experiment. Cell migration was determined by Transwell assay with curcumin. The expression of Neuronal precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated 4 (NEDD4), E-cadherin, and vimentin was determined by Western blotting and/or quantitative real-time PCR in the context of NEDD4 knockdown or overexpression or curcumin treatment. The endocytosis of E-cadherin was observed by fluorescence microscopy in the cells with NEDD4 (wild type or mutated) overexpression or curcumin treatment. Results We demonstrated that curcumin inhibited the migration of melanoma cells through upregulating E-cadherin while inhibiting vimentin. The inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the melanoma cells treated with curcumin was associated with the decreased expression of NEDD4. Knockdown of NEDD4 upregulated E-cadherin, while overexpression of NEDD4 depleted E-cadherin. Moreover, NEDD4 promoted the internalization and lysosomal degradation of E-cadherin, while curcumin strengthened the localization of E-cadherin in the plasma membrane and inhibited the delivery of E-cadherin to endosome. NEDD4 colocalized with the internalized E-cadherin, while mutated NEDD4, which still enhanced E-cadherin internalization, did not colocalize with E-cadherin. Conclusions Taken together, curcumin’s inhibition on NEDD4 expression and E-cadherin endocytosis contributes to its anti-migration effect on melanoma cells.

Objective The aim was to evaluate the efficacy, safety and completion rate of 3-month, once-weekly rifapentine and isoniazid for tuberculosis (TB) prevention among Chinese silicosis patients. Methods Male silicosis patients without human immunodeficiency virus infection, aged 18 years to 65 years, with or without latent TB infection, were randomized 1:1 to receive rifapentine/isoniazid under direct observation (3RPT/INH group) or were untreated (observation group). Active TB incidence was compared between the two groups with 37 months of follow-up. Safety profile and complete rates were evaluated. Results A total of 1227 adults with silicosis were screened; 513 eligible participants were enrolled and assigned to 3RPT/INH (n = 254) vs. observation (n = 259). Twenty-eight participants were diagnosed with active TB, and 9 and 19 in the 3RPT/INH group and observation groups, respectively. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the cumulative active TB rate was 3.5% (9/254) in the 3RPT/INH group and 7.3% (19/259) in the observation group (log rank p 0.055). On per protocol analysis, the cumulative active TB rates were 0.7% (1/139) and 7.3% (19/259), respectively (log rank p 0.01). Owing to an unexpected high frequency of adverse events (70.4%) and Grade 3 or 4 AEs (7.9%), the completion rate of the 3RPT/INH regimen was 54.7% (139/254). Twenty-six (10.8%) participants had flu-like systemic drug reactions; five (2.1%) experienced hepatotoxicity. Discussion Weekly rifapentine/isoniazid prophylaxis prevented active TB among Chinese people with silicosis when taken, irrespective of LTBI screening; efficacy was reduced by lack of compliance. The regimen must be used with caution because of the high rates of adverse effects. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02430259

Background The minichromosome maintenance (MCM) protein complex is important for DNA replication. Moreover, the expression of specific MCM complex components has been associated with the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, the expression and functional roles of minichromosome maintenance complex component 4 (MCM4) in HCC development and progression have not yet been explored. We analyzed the expression and clinical significance of MCM4, including its association with liver cancer patient survival. Methods Oncomine, UALCAN, and HCCDB (a database of HCC expression atlas) were used to characterize the expression of MCM4 in tumor and normal tissues. The expression of MCM4 at the protein level was confirmed based on immunohistochemistry (IHC) data obtained from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. The level of MCM4 was measured in tumor and adjacent normal tissues by RT-qPCR, western blot and IHC staining. The copy number alterations (CNAs) and mutations in MCM4 were analyzed by cBioPortal, whereas the co-expression genes of MCM4 in HCC were obtained from Oncomine, and used for gene ontology and pathway analysis via the NetworkAnalyst 3.0 tool, to explore the predictive signaling pathway in HCC. Results The levels of MCM4 messenger (m)RNA and protein were found to be significantly higher in liver cancer tissues than in normal liver tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the upregulation of MCM4 was significantly negatively correlated with the survival of HCC patients. Conclusions Our data suggest that MCM4 may be used as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC.

Background: Nerve block shows some potential in alleviating pain after mammaplasty. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to investigate the efficacy of nerve block for pain control after m...

Background: Whether T-cell interferon-γ responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens can be influenced by tuberculosis preventive treatment in a high-endemic country is uncertain. Methods: In this prospective, open-label, controlled study, 513 individuals with silicosis were randomly selected for TB preventive treatment with rifapentine and isoniazid or for observation. QuantiFERON-TB Gold in-tube (QFT-GIT) assay was used to measure IFN-γ response to M. tuberculosis antigens at baseline (T0) and at 6 (T1) and 33 (T2) months after completion of therapy. Results: A total of 220 subjects were included in the final analysis: 105 and 115 in the prevention and observation arms, respectively. The proportions of QFT-GIT reversion from baseline to T1 were similar in the prevention and observation arms (18.4% vs 12.8%, P = 0.566). However, reversion from baseline to T2 was more frequent in the prevention arm than in the observation arm, but the difference was not significant (24.2% vs 6.3%, P = 0.881). No significant difference was observed in the quantitative responses of QFT-GIT between the two arms during follow-up at T1 (P = 0.648) and T2 (P = 0.918). Conclusions: Preventive tuberculosis treatment has no effect on interferon-γ responses measured by serial QFT-GIT assays in a high tuberculosis-endemic country. Clinical Trials Registration: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02430259. Keywords: QuantiFERON TB-Gold in-tube, Tuberculosis preventive treatment, Serial tests, Randomized clinical trial

Background ID1 is associated with resistance to the first generation of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the effect of ID1 expression on osimertinib resistance in EGFR T790M-positive NSCLC is not clear. Methods We established a drug-resistant cell line, H1975/OR, from the osimertinib-sensitive cell line H1975. Alterations in ID1 protein expression and Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins were detected with western blot analysis. RT-PCR was used to evaluate the differences of gene mRNA levels. ID1 silencing and overexpression were used to investigate the effects of related gene on osimertinib resistance. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) was used to assess the proliferation rate in cells with altered of ID1 expression. Transwell assay was used to evaluate the invasion ability of different cells. The effects on the cell cycle and apoptosis were also compared using flow cytometry. Results In our study, we found that in osimertinib-resistant NSCLC cells, the expression level of the EMT-related protein E-cadherin was lower than that of sensitive cells, while the expression level of ID1 and vimentin were higher than those of sensitive cells. ID1 expression levels was closely related to E-cadherin and vimentin in both osimertinib-sensitive and resistant cells. Alteration of ID1 expression in H1975/OR cells could change the expression of E-cadherin. Downregulating ID1 expression in H1975/OR cells could inhibit cell proliferation, reduce cell invasion, promote cell apoptosis and arrested the cell cycle in the G1/G0 stage phase. Our study suggests that ID1 may induce EMT in EGFR T790M-positive NSCLC, which mediates drug resistance of osimertinib. Conclusions Our study revealed the mechanism of ID1 mediated resistance to osimertinib in EGFR T790M-positive NSCLC through EMT, which may provide new ideas and methods for the treatment of EGFR mutated NSCLC after osimertinib resistance.

BACKGROUND: The minichromosome maintenance (MCM) protein complex is important for DNA replication. Moreover, the expression of specific MCM complex components has been associated with the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, the expression and functional roles of minichromosome maintenance complex component 4 (MCM4) in HCC development and progression have not yet been explored. We analyzed the expression and clinical significance of MCM4, including its association with liver cancer patient survival. METHODS: Oncomine, UALCAN, and HCCDB (a database of HCC expression atlas) were used to characterize the expression of MCM4 in tumor and normal tissues. The expression of MCM4 at the protein level was confirmed based on immunohistochemistry (IHC) data obtained from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. The level of MCM4 was measured in tumor and adjacent normal tissues by RT-qPCR, western blot and IHC staining. The copy number alterations (CNAs) and mutations in MCM4 were analyzed by cBioPortal, whereas the co-expression genes of MCM4 in HCC were obtained from Oncomine, and used for gene ontology and pathway analysis via the NetworkAnalyst 3.0 tool, to explore the predictive signaling pathway in HCC. RESULTS: The levels of MCM4 messenger (m)RNA and protein were found to be significantly higher in liver cancer tissues than in normal liver tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the upregulation of MCM4 was significantly negatively correlated with the survival of HCC patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that MCM4 may be used as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC.

BACKGROUND The association between leptin receptor (LEPR) polymorphisms and keloids is still unclear. Our study aimed to explore the association between LEPR gene polymorphisms and keloids in the Chinese Han population. MATERIAL AND METHODS We implemented a case-control study in a cohort of 352 keloid patients and 299 healthy controls to analyze the correlation between 4 SNPs (rs1137101, rs1938496, rs6588147, and rs7555955) and keloids. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood by using TGuide M16 (Tiangen). Genotyping of LEPR SNPs was performed using an improved multiple ligase detection reaction (iMLDR) by Shanghai Genesky Bio-Tech Co., Ltd. RESULTS We found that patients caring the AA genotype of rs1137101 and the CC genotype rs1938496 tend to have the increased risk of keloids (P=0.026, P=0.047). Carrying the GA, AA gene type, and G allele frequencies of rs7555955, patients were more likely to have to keloids (P=0.030, P=0.016, P=0.018, respectively). There were no significant differences in genotype distribution and allele frequencies of rs6588147 between cases and controls. The association of rs1137101 and rs7555955 under dominant, recessive, and allele models exhibited significant differences among family-history keloid patients, no-family-history keloid groups, and normal controls (χ²=6.471, P=0.039; χ²=6.477, P=0.039; χ²=6.197, P=0.045, respectively). Similarly, the OR of rs1137101 in the recessive model was significantly higher in patients with a family history of keloids than those in controls. Nonetheless, there are significant ORs of rs1938496 and rs6588147 among the mild-moderate keloid, severe keloid, and control groups. CONCLUSIONS The LEPR gene polymorphisms are associated with keloid formation and severity, especially in patients with a positive family history.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a common chronic nonspecific intestinal inflammation of unknown etiology associated with a low cure rate and a high relapse rate. Hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells (HF-MSCs) are a class of pluripotent stem cells that have differentiation potential and strong proliferation ability. Nuclear factor red system related factor (Nrf-2) is a key factor in the oxidative stress response. Dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced rat UC models closely mimic human UC in terms of symptoms and histological changes. Animals were divided into five groups, including a healthy group and UC model rats treated with normal saline, Nrf-2, HF-MSCs, or Nrf-2-expressing HF-MSC group. Based on the expression of intestinal stem cells, inflammatory factors, anti-inflammatory factors, and disease activity index scores, Nrf-2-expressing HF-MSCs had the most obvious therapeutic effect under the same treatment regimen. This study provided a new potential clinical treatment option for ulcerative colitis.

Objective To analyzed the effect of ID1 overexpression on osimertinib resistance to T790M positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods We established drug resistant cell line H1975/OR from osimertinib sensitive cell line H1975. Protein alterations of ID1 and Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) were detected with western blot analysis. RT-PCR was used to evaluate the differences of gene mRNA. ID1 silencing and overexpression was used to investigate the effect of related gene on osimertinib resistance. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) was used to assess proliferation rate of ID1 differently expressed cells. Cell cycle and apoptosis was compared using flow cytometry. Results In our study, we found that in osimertinib resistant NSCLC cells, the expression level of EMT related protein E-cadherin was lower than that of sensitive cells, while the expression level of ID1 and vimentin was higher than that of sensitive cells. ID1 expression level was closely related to E-cadherin and vimentin both in osimertinib sensitive and resistant cells. Alteration of ID1 expression in H1975/OR cells could change the expression of E-cadherin. Downregulating ID1 expression of H1975/OR cells could promote the apoptosis induced by osimertinib and block cell cycle at G1/G0 stage. Our study indicated that ID1 may induce EMT in T790M positive NSCLC, which mediates drug resistance of osimertinib. Conclusions Our study reveal the mechanism of ID1 mediated resistance to osimertinib in T790M positive NSCLC through EMT, which may provide new ideas and methods for treatment of EGFR mutated NSCLC after osimertinib resistance.

Objective To analyze the prognostic significance of the pretreatment platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for targeted therapy in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods We conducted a retrospective study of 96 patients with EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC who were treated at Dongguan People’s Hospital, Southern Medical University from May 2014 to December 2017. All patients received EGFR-targeted therapy until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or other factors. Approximately 3 days before the initial treatment, data including a detailed clinical history, physical examination, radiographic results, pathological diagnosis, and laboratory parameters including complete blood cell counts and albumin levels were evaluated. Results Patients in the PLR ≥ 190 group had shorter progression-free survival (PFS) than those in the PLR Conclusions Pretreatment PLR may be an independent prognostic factor for patients with NSCLC receiving EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. Further studies are needed to identify the impact of PLR on EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

The dysregulation of circABCB10 may play an critical role in tumor progression. However, its function in liver cancer (HCC) is still unclear. Therefore, this experimental design is based on circABCB10 to explore the pathogenesis of HCC. The expression of circABCB10 and miR-670-3p in HCC tissues was detected by RT-qPCR. CCK-8, Brdu incorporation, colony formation and transwell assays were used to determine the effect of circABCB10 on HCC cell proliferation and migration. Target gene prediction and screening, luciferase reporter assays were used to validate downstream target genes of circABCB10 and miR-670-3p. HMG20A expression was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting. The tumor changes in mice were detected by in nude mice. CircABCB10 was significantly increased in HCC tissues and cell lines, and high CircABCB10 expression was directly associated with low survival in HCC patients. Silencing of circABCB10 inhibited proliferation and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, circABCB10 acted as a sponge of miR-670-3p to upregulate HMG20A expression. In addition, overexpression of miR-670-3p or knockdown of HMG20A reversed the carcinogenic effects of circABCB10 in HCC. There was a negative correlation between the expression of circABCB10 and miR-670-3p, and a positive correlation between the expression of circABCB10 and HMG20A in HCC tissues. circABCB10 promoted HCC progression by modulating the miR-670-3p/HMG20A axis, and circABCB10 may be a potential therapeutic target for HCC. Trail registration JL1H384739, registered at Sep 09, 2014.

Background/aims The dysregulation of circABCB10 may play an critical role in tumor progression. However, its function in liver cancer (HCC) is still unclear. Therefore, this experimental design is based on circABCB10 to explore the pathogenesis of HCC. Methods The expression of circABCB10 and miR-670-3p in HCC tissues was detected by RT-qPCR. CCK-8, Brdu incorporation, colony formation and transwell assays were used to determine the effect of circABCB10 on HCC cell proliferation and migration. Target gene prediction and screening, luciferase reporter assays were used to validate downstream target genes of circABCB10 and miR-670-3p. HMG20A expression was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting. The tumor changes in mice were detected by in nude mice. Results CircABCB10 was significantly increased in HCC tissues and cell lines, and high CircABCB10 expression was directly associated with low survival in HCC patients. Silencing of circABCB10 inhibited proliferation and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, circABCB10 acted as a sponge of miR-670-3p to upregulate HMG20A expression. In addition, overexpression of miR-670-3p or knockdown of HMG20A reversed the carcinogenic effects of circABCB10 in HCC. There was a negative correlation between the expression of circABCB10 and miR-670-3p, and a positive correlation between the expression of circABCB10 and HMG20A in HCC tissues. Conclusion circABCB10 promoted HCC progression by modulating the miR-670-3p/HMG20A axis, and circABCB10 may be a potential therapeutic target for HCC. Trail registration JL1H384739, registered at Sep 09, 2014.

To make up the gap of wasted phosphonates being too much as pollutants and phosphorus being too little as a natural resource, electrochemical “oxidation-precipitation” system was rationally developed to recover phosphorus with simultaneous mineralization of ethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMP), a typical phosphonate. In this process, BDD( OH) was the primary oxidative species for EDTMP degradation, which led to the bond cleavage in the sequence of C-N, C-P and C-C. Increasing current density from 3 to 30 mA cm−2 improved the mineralization efficiency of EDTMP from 14% to 72% within 120 min, accompanying 65–95% of EDTMP conversion to orth-P. With the presence of 50 mg L−1 Ca2+, 21–83% of phosphorus was recovered as insoluble calcium phosphate at the cathode surface. High initial Ca2+ concentration favored the phosphorus recovery, whereas it was negatively influenced with the presence of Mg2+ and HCO3–. In addition, phosphorus recovery was negligibly affected by solution pH in the range of 3.0 to 12.0 because the locally alkaline condition was well maintained at the cathode surface. Phosphorus was electrochemically recovered mainly in the form of thermodynamically most stable hydroxyapatite, which proceeded via the formation of brushite, octacalcium phosphate, and amorphous calcium phosphate with Δ[Ca]/Δ[P] molar ratio increasing from 1.0 to 1.67. Based on the results of phosphorus recovery from the real wastewater, we envision that this synchronous anodic oxidation-cathodic precipitation process can be applied as an environmentally compatible and feasible strategy for phosphorus recovery from the phosphonate wastewaters.

e21083 Background: Dacomitinib showed superior efficacy for patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) sensitive mutations as compared to that of gefitinib, especially for those harboring exon 21 L858R mutation. However, the grade 3-4 treatment related adverse events were more common in patients receiving 45mg of dacomitinib as initial treatment. Hence, we did this study to explore efficacy and safety of low dose dacomitinib for first-line treatment of patients with EGFR exon 21 mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data of patients with EGFR exon 21 mutated advanced NSCLC treated with 15 mg dacomitinib as initial therapy between August 2019 and December 2020 at Affiliated Dongguan Hospital, Southern Medical University, China. EGFR mutation was identified using the scorpion amplification refractory mutation system method (ARMS) or next-generation sequencing technology (NGS). A total of 9 NSCLC patients with exon 21 mutation were included. All of these patients received dacomitinib (15 mg, once a day) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Response was assessed according to Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1). Toxicities were recorded and classified according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) version 3.0. The last follow-up date is February 10, 2021. The primary end point was objective responsive rate (ORR). The secondary end points were disease control rate (DCR), median progression-free survival (PFS) and treatment related toxicity. Results: Among the 9 patients with EGFR exon 21 mutated NSCLC in this study, 8 patients harboring L858R mutation while one patients harboring L861Q mutation. The median age of treatment patients was 70 years (range, 39-87 years). There were 3 patients with brain brain metastases (33.3%) and had never received whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT), surgery, radiosurgery or systemic treatment.They all received low dose of dacomitinib as initial treatment. The ORR was 77.8% and DCR was 100%. The median PFS data was not mature. None of these patients had a progression disease until the last follow-up date. Treatment related adverse events were generally mild. The most frequent toxicity was rash (44.4%), the remaining adverse events included rash, pruritus, diarrhea, abnormal hepatic function, anaemia and elevated creatinine, all of which occurred only once during the treatment period. None of the patients experienced grade 3 or higher toxicities. Conclusions: Our study showed that dacomitinib (15 mg, once a day) may be also effective for patients harboring EGFR exon 21 mutated NSCLC, with significantly reduced toxicities as compared to that of standard dose. Prospective or real-world studies are needed to further illuminate the effect of low dose of dacomitinib on EGFR exon 21 mutated patients.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known precursors of harmful carbonaceous particles. Accurate predictions of soot formations strongly rely on accurate predictions of PAHs chemistry. This work addresses the detailed kinetic modeling of PAH formation using two models: CRECK [8] and ITV [12], aiming to compare the model predictions with experimental data in olefin pyrolysis and laminar premixed flames. The two kinetic mechanisms are validated and compared highlighting similarities and differences in PAHs formation pathways. The validation highlights the critical role of resonance-stabilized radicals leading to the PAH formation.

Two new compounds, ( S )-(−)- N -[2-(3-Hydroxy-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1 H -indol-3-yl)-ethyl]-acetamide ( 1 ) and 6-formyl-5-isopropyl-3-hydroxymethyl-7-methyl-1 H -indene ( 2) , were isolated from the leaves of Selaginella pulvinata . Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods. Additionally, compound 1 could inhibit the growth of SK-mel-110 cells and induce cell apoptosis in vitro through up-regulating the expression of inhibitor of growth family member 4.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the clinicopathological and demographic factors, and the survival time of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in China. The patients had received adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC; 500 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide, day 1; 75 mg/m2 epirubicin, day 1; 500 mg/m2 5-fluorouracil, days 1 and 8; every 3 weeks, for at least 4 cycles). The clinicopathological and demographic factors affecting the outcome of the patients with TNBC that received adjuvant FEC chemotherapy were evaluated. Within these variables, the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) times were analyzed using the log-rank test, which was constructed using the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Additionally, Spearman's χ2 test was used to analyze categorical variables. In the univariate statistical analysis, the significant risk factors for TNBC patient survival were the stage of disease and lymph node status, which were associated with the OS and DFS, and the total number of pregnancies, which was associated with the DFS. In the multivariate Cox proportional hazard model, lymph node status was an independent prognostic indicator of OS [P

Melanoma, is a highly aggressive and the most lethal form of skin cancer, and is known to be resistant to current therapeutic modalities. Interferon (IFN)-α2b is an immunostimulatory cytokine and is used to treat melanoma by inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis of cells. However, there is a need to improve the efficacy of IFN-α2b. Inhibitor of growth family member 4 (ING4) has been reported to function as a tumor suppressor and is involved in regulating cell cycle progression, apoptosis, cell migration and invasion. Previously studies have also reported that caspase-3, caspase-8, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) pathways are involved in the process of apoptosis. In the present study, it was investigated whether overexpression of ING4 is able to enhance IFN-α2b response in human melanoma cells. It was determined that the overexpression of ING4 was able to increase the effects of IFN-α2b, and induce cell death and apoptosis in melanoma cells. Furthermore, the overexpression of ING4 resulted in decreased expression of PARP, caspase-3 and −8. The expression of cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-8, Fas and FasL was increased in the A375 melanoma cell line. These results demonstrate that the overexpression of ING4 is able to enhance the anti-melanoma activity of IFN-α2b. These findings provide a potential therapeutic strategy where a combination of ING4 overexpression and IFN-α2b treatment may lead to higher levels of apoptosis in melanoma cells.

Broken filaments is a common appearance defect of viscose filament surface, the number of broken filaments is a important quality index, the detection and counting of broken filaments is a important problem of quality inspection and control for viscose filament manufacturer. This paper considers this problem as random moving object detection and counting. First, viscose filament video is recorded, and is read into the MATLAB workspace; then a video image processing algorithm is proposed to process the video, and the target video stream with random broken filaments is derived; finally a method based on observation window is adopted to detect and count the broken filaments. Experimental results based on MATLAB show that this method can effectively detect and count the broken filaments, its accuracy rate can more than 90%. It turns out that the method has the potential to be used in the practical production.

Melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, is notoriously resistant to all current available therapies. Inhibitor of growth 4 (ING4), a novel member of the ING family of proteins, has previously been shown to play a critical role in the development of multiple tumors by regulating apoptosis, proliferation, cell cycle progress, migration and invasion. However, the functional role of ING4 in human melanoma remains unclear. To fully understand its potential role in human melanoma, in the present study, lentivirus (LV)‑ING4 and LV‑ING4‑short hairpin RNA were constructed and transfected into human melanoma A375 cells. First, the effect of overexpressing or downregulating ING4 on the apoptosis of the transfected melanoma cells and cluster of differentiation (CD)3+ T cells was investigated. In the present study, we found that the late apoptotic cells, and not the early apoptotic cells, were more in LV-ING4 group compared with LV-control, and both the early and late apoptosis of CD3+ T cells was significantly observed in A375 cells transfected with LV-ING4 compared with LV-control. Importantly, it was determined whether the overexpression of ING4 significantly induce apoptotic cell death via Fas/FasL (Fas death receptor/FasL) pathway activation and downregulation of poly(ADP‑ribose) polymerase, caspase‑3 and caspase‑8 in the melanoma cells and CD3+ T cells. These results demonstrated that overexpression of ING4 can induce the apoptosis of melanoma cells and CD3+ T cells through signaling pathways such as the Fas/FasL pathway, and that ING4 gene therapy for melanoma treatment is a novel approach.

Artistic gymnastics (AG) has developed into a favorite sports activity among many university students; recent years saw not only the increase of AG learners, but also the emergence of more and more problems in the training. Based on surveys in different forms, students’ physical quality and their performance in the AG training were analyzed and summarized; and with the aid of the computer technology, Artistic Gymnastics Training Guidance System was designed and implemented to meet the students’ needs for personalized training schemes and improve AG teaching quality. The System can provide convenient ways for scientific training in a targeted and oriented manner on the basis of the differences in physical quality. Also, it can provide teachers with detailed data about the students’ physical quality and their AG training; through the visualization of valuable statistical data, it is able to provide a powerful basis for decision makers of teaching departments and thus facilitate the perfection of AG teaching...

The hazardous materials (Hazmat) transportation routing is of great importance for transport safety. This paper presents a routing approach for Hazmat transportation, namely fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy AHP) based on historical traffic data. Firstly, we use historical traffic data to preplan the candidate routes. Then we determine the best route by combining AHP with fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE). Finally, we use a case to show how to plan a route for Hazmat transportation. Compared with traditional approaches, our approach can balance the safety, efficiency and cost better.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence, epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic features of patients with pemphigus vulgaris in China. We retrospectively investigated a total of 221 patients with pemphigus vulgaris. The parameters including age at diagnosis/onset, sex, diagnostic methods, hospitalizations, side-effects with different treatments, pemphigus vulgaris-associated diseases, the therapeutic features and duration of follow up were evaluated. The male : female ratio was 1:1.40. The incidence rate was obviously higher in two age groups, 31-40 years and 41-50 years. The mean age at onset was 44.19 ± 21.45 years. The majority of patients (56.56%) presented the mucocutaneous type. In addition, we found that various doses of corticosteroids (including the mean initial dose, maximum control dose, total dose before reducing and hospitalized total dose) exhibited statistical differences between only corticosteroids and corticosteroids-immunosuppressant groups in mild, moderate and severe pemphigus vulgaris (P < 0.05). Our survey suggested that pemphigus vulgaris most frequently occurred in the 41-50-year age group in China and the majority of patients manifested mucocutaneous lesions. Importantly, the incidence rate in females was higher than in males. The patients who needed combined immunosuppressant treatment, usually needed higher doses of corticosteroids initially, to control the disease and over the total course of treatment.

Background: Condylomata acuminata (CA) are caused by human papillomavirus. Most conventional therapies for CA have high recurrence rate. Objectives: To compare the recurrence rate of 5-aminolaevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) combined with CO2 laser and CO2 laser alone for CA treatment in mainland China. Methods: In this meta-analysis, 2,048 cases of CA from 22 articles were divided into two groups. The treatment group was treated by using ALA-PDT combined with CO2 laser, and CO2 laser alone was applied in the control group. The recurrence rate of the two groups was calculated and compared. Results: The recurrence rate was 42.67% (451/1,057) in the control group and 10.29% (102/991) in the treatment group, with a significant statistical difference between the two groups (χ2 = 271.98, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: ALA-PDT combined with CO2 laser was more effective in decreasing the recurrence rate of CA compared with CO2 laser alone. It might offer a wide clinical application for CA treatment.

The objective of this study is as follows. Inhibitor of growth (ING) 4 is a novel member of the ING family. It has been thought to play an inhibitory role in several malignancies through its involvment in gene transcription, apoptosis, cell cycle control, and tumor angiogenesis. The involvement of ING4 in melanomagenesis remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of ING4 on melanoma and its mechanisms. The method used was to construct recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1-ING4 and transfect it into the human melanoma cell line M14. The effects and mechanisms of ING4 on proliferation and apoptosis of M14 cells were analyzed in vitro according to MTT assay, colony formation assay, and TUNEL assay. The detection of the expression of cell cycle or apoptosis regulators in transfected M14 cells was carried out by western blot analysis. Moreover, the level of ING4 in melanoma tissues was examined by immunohistochemistry. The expression of ING4 was markedly reduced in cutaneous melanoma tissues. Overexpression of ING4 could induce growth suppression and apoptosis enhancement in M14 cells, and also induce the upregulation of p27, Bax and Cyt-c, and the downregulation of cyclinD1, SKP2, Bcl-2, and caspase-3. In conclusion, ING4, as a novel tumor suppressor, has a potential role in growth suppression and apoptosis enhancement of melanoma M14 through the activation of the mitochondrial-induced apoptotic pathway and the hindrance of cell cycle progression. The deregulation of ING4 might be involved in melanomagenesis.

Background: Inhibitor of growth 4 (ING4) plays a role in regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis, cell invasion and migration, but the mechanisms involved remain to be elucidated. Objective: To explore how ING4 affects human malignant melanoma A375 cells. Methods: Recombinant lentiviral vectors (A375/pLenO-GTP-ING4) were constructed and transfected into A375 cells (experimental group). The impact of ING4 on the proliferation and apoptosis of A375 cells was investigated in in vitro and in vivo experiments in mice using the MTT assay and flow cytometry. Results: In the experimental group, optical density was lower and apoptotic cells were more frequent from days 2-5 (p = 0.000 and p < 0.01); there were smaller xenografts and more apoptotic cells in mice (all p < 0.05); moreover, increased levels of Fas, cleaved caspase-8 and caspase-3, and decreased levels of FasL and procyclic acidic repetitive protein were observed in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: ING4 might suppress proliferation and enhance apoptosis in human malignant melanoma cells by activating Fas-induced apoptosis in a caspase-8-dependent pathway.

Wu Xia Graduate faculty, Jianghan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China xiawuwhjd@163.com Abstract—In order to solve the issues of low accuracy, existing electrolytic coating thickness, poor reproducibility, lack of self-checking, data is difficult to store and handle urgent need to address, we designed a portable gauge based on Coulomblaw. This paper describes the system design of electrolytic thickness, the hardware and software design. Gauge meets factory testing needs through a variety of different materials, coatings extensive experiments.