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The progresses on production cross-sections of unknown nuclei in fusion evaporation (FE) reactions and multinucleon transfer (MNT) reactions are reviewed. The synthesis of the superheavy nuclei (SHN) with [Formula: see text], 119, 120, 121, and 122 in FE reactions is presented. As a promising pathway to produce neutron-rich nuclei, the MNT reactions near the Coulomb barrier are applied to investigate the generation of neutron-rich heavy nuclei and the transuranium nuclei. The predicted production cross-sections of unknown neutron-rich nuclei in MNT reactions are summarized. We make a comparison of the radioactive beam-induced FE reactions and MNT process for producing the predicted double magic nuclei [Formula: see text]Fl, which provides a possible pathway to approach the island of stability.

Bladder cancer is a common malignant tumor of the urinary system and is associated with a high morbidity and mortality, due to the difficulty in the accurate diagnosis of patients with early‑stage bladder cancer and the lack of effective treatments for patients with advanced bladder cancer. Thus, novel therapeutic targets are urgently required for this disease. Kinesin family member 22 (KIF22) is a kinesin‑like DNA binding protein belonging to kinesin family, and is involved in the regulation of mitosis. KIF22 has also been reported to promote the progression of several types of cancer, such as breast cancer and melanoma. The present study demonstrates the high expression of KIF22 in human bladder cancer tissues. KIF22 was found to be associated with clinical features, including clinical stage (P=0.003) and recurrence (P=0.016), and to be associated with the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer. Furthermore, it was found that KIF22 silencing inhibited the proliferation of bladder cancer cells in vitro and tumor progression in mice. Additionally, it was noted that KIF22 transcriptionally activated cell division cycle‑associated protein 3 expression, which was also confirmed in tumors in mice. Taken together, the present study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the promotion of bladder cancer by KIF22 and provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of bladder cancer. Introduction.

Objective: Currently, the mechanism of ferroptosis in the progression of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is still unclear. This paper aims to explore the potential mechanism of ferroptosis-related genes in KIRC.Methods: Using KIRC chip data in Gene Expression Synthesis (GEO) database, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal and tumor group were screened in GSE168845, GSE105261 and GSE11151 by limma package. Ferroptosis-related DEGs were gained by the intersection of DEGs and ferroptosis-related genes, which from the FerrDb database. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of ferroptosis-related DEGs was carried out by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Univariate and multivariate Cox risk regression model was used to screen and establish gene prognosis risk prediction model. For ferroptosis-related DEGs, targeted small molecules are predicted for the treatment of KIRC.Results: In GSE168845, GSE105261 and GSE11151, 2532 DEGs were screened from normal group and tumor group. And 149 ferroptosis-related genes were obtained from the FerrDb database. Through the intersection of DEGs and ferroptosis-related genes, 17 ferroptosis-related DEGs were obtained. GO enrichment analysis indicated that primary biological processes of 17 ferroptosis-related DEGs enrichment had iron ion binding, microvillus membrane and regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter in response to stress. Based on univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, the multivariate prognostic risk prediction model composed of three ferroptosis DEGs including MT1G, LAMP2 and MIOX was constructed. The results of patient risk score indicated that the prognosis with high score was worse than those with low score. Meanwhile, we found that the exprssion of MT1G, LAMP2 and MIOX were related with methylation and immune infiltration in KIRC. Terroptosis-gene interaction and terroptosis-miRNA coregulatory network of MT1G, LAMP2 and MIOX were collected by Network Analyst. Then, the ferroptosis-related prognosis nomogram, including age, gender, grade, TNM and risk score, was found to predict the overall survival (OS) of KIRC patients. Finally, according to ferroptosis related DEGs, the potential therapeutic effects of emetine, cephaeline,scoulerline, sanguinarine, cicloheximide, tolfenamic acid, phenoxybenzamine and calmidazolium were predicted in KIRC.Conclusion: The risk prediction models of MT1G, LAMP2 and MIOX can effectively predict the prognosis of patients with KIRC. And MT1G, LAMP2 and MIOX are related to methylation and immune infiltration in KIRC, which is expected to play a guiding role in the clinical treatment of KIRC. Targeted these three genes, potential therapeutic drugs of emetine, cephaeline,scoulerline, sanguinarine, cicloheximide, tolfenamic acid, phenoxybenzamine and calmidazolium were also predicted in KIRC.

Accumulated evidence indicates that CCAT1 functions as an oncogene in the progression of a variety of tumors. However, little is known as to how CCAT1 impacts tumorigenesis in human prostate cancer. In this study, we found from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center database that CCAT1 is highly upregulated in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) compared with androgen-dependent prostate cancer (ADPC). Higher level of CCAT1 leads to increased mortality in patients with CRPC. In vitro and in vivo studies show that CCAT1 promotes prostate cancer cell proliferation as well as the tumor growth of prostate cancer xenografts. Mechanistically, in cytoplasm, CCAT1 sponges MIR-28-5P to prevent the anticancer effect. In nucleus, CCAT1 acts as a scaffold for DDX5 (P68) and AR transcriptional complex to facilitate the expression of AR-regulated genes, thus stimulating CRPC progression. Our findings suggest that CCAT1 is an oncogenic factor in the progression of CRPC with different regulatory mechanisms in the nucleus and cytoplasm of cells.

Water-based coherent detection of broadband terahertz (THz) wave has been recently proposed with superior performances, which can alleviate the limited detection bandwidth and high probe laser energy requirement in the solid- and air-based detection schemes, respectively. Here, we demonstrate that the water-based detection method can be extended to the aqueous salt solutions and the sensitivity can be significantly enhanced. The THz coherent detection signal intensity scales linearly with the third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ(3) or quadratically with the linear refractive index η0 of the aqueous salt solutions, while the incoherent detection signal intensity scales quadratically with χ(3) or quartically with η0, proving the underlying mechanism is the four-wave mixing. Both the coherent and incoherent detection signal intensities appear positive correlation with the solution concentration. These results imply that the liquid-based THz detection scheme could provide a new technique to measure χ(3) and further investigate the physicochemical properties in the THz band for various liquids.

We examined the effects of phosphorus (P) levels on photosynthetic and P/Fe traits of soybean under the stress of low Fe and their genotypic differences, to provide a theoretical basis for rational application of P and Fe fertilizer. Six P-efficient and six P-inefficient soybean varieties screened in the early stage were used as experimental materials. Four treatments of P:Fe ratio were set, including 0:30, 30:30, 150:30 and 300:30 (μmol·L为了明确低铁胁迫下磷素用量对大豆光合和磷/铁性状的影响及基因型差异,为磷、铁肥的合理施用提供理论依据,以前期筛选的6个磷高效基因型和6个磷低效基因型大豆为供试材料,设4个P∶Fe配比处理,分别为0∶30、30∶30、150∶30和300∶30(μmol·L

Controversies exist among experiments and theories on the factor of the astrophysical important reaction 12C + 12C for energies below 3 MeV. Only frequentist approaches have been used so far for data analysis, and the confidence levels or theoretical errors are not available from previous theoretical predictions. In this study, the Bayesian method is employed to provide theoretical predictions and its 1σ confidence level based on all the currently available experimental data for the first time. The improved coupled-channels model CCFULL-FEM implemented with the finite element method as well as the Markov chain Monte Carlo approach emcee are adopted to analyze the non-resonant behavior of this reaction. The posterior distribution of the Woods-Saxon potential parameters is investigated. Compared with the widely used frequentist method MIGRAD within the Minuit minimization program, the Bayesian method has a significant advantage for exploring the potential parameter space. When the existing experimental data measured down to subbarrier energies are considered, the potential parameters are constrained to a very narrow range, and the predictions of the factor showed no sharp decrease in the low-energy region.

Renal cyst is a common disease in humans and laparoscopic renal cyst decortication is the gold standard for treatment. However, specialized surgical skills are required for the treatment of renal parapelvic cysts. In this study, we describe an improved laparoscopic method for the treatment of renal parapelvic cysts involving the use of continuous infusion of methylene blue. Sixteen patients with renal parapelvic cyst were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent retrograde ureteral catheterization, with continuous perfusion of the renal pelvis using a solution of 0.2% methylene blue and saline, during laparoscopic decortication of the parapelvic cyst. In one patient, the cyst communicated with the renal collection system which was injured, but this was immediately repaired intraoperatively. All operations were successful, and none was converted to open surgery. There were no occurrences of persistent urinary fistula, bleeding, or other complications postoperatively. All patients were followed-up for 3–24 months, and results of postoperative imaging investigations revealed that all of our patients experienced either complete recovery or a greater than 50% decrease in size of the cysts. Our study demonstrates that methylene blue-assisted laparoscopic treatment is a safe, effective and practical method for the treatment of renal parapelvic cysts.

Aims Heart failure (HF) is a progressive disease with recurrent hospitalizations and high mortality. However, the mechanisms underlying HF remain unclear. The present study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)/Src homology domain 2-containing tyrosine phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) axis in HF. Methods The HF rat models and hypertrophy cell models were established. The characteristic parameters of the heart were detected by echocardiography. A multichannel physiological signal acquisition system was used to detect the hemodynamic parameters. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of HDAC3, DNMT1, and SHP-1 mRNAs, while Western blot was applied to analyze the expression of proteins. Masson staining was used to analyze the degree of collagen fiber infiltration. TdT-mediated DUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was performed to analyze the apoptosis of myocardial tissue cells. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) was conducted to study the interaction between HDAC3 and DNMT1. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the apoptosis. Key findings HDAC3 and DNMT1 were highly expressed in HF rat and hypertrophy cell models. HDAC3 modified DNMT1 through deacetylation to inhibit ubiquitination-mediated degradation, which promoted the expression of DNMT1. DNMT1 inhibited SHP-1 expression via methylation in the promoter region. In summary, HDAC3 modified DNMT1 by deacetylation to suppress SHP-1 expression, which in turn led to the development of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy-induced HF. Significance This study provided potential therapeutic targets for HF treatment.

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are essential regulators in the occurrence and development of AS. Here we aim to explore the underlying molecular mechanism of LncRNA SNHG16 in regulating ox-LDL-induced VSMC proliferation, migration and invasion. After constructing AS in vivo and in vitro models, the expressions of SNHG16, miR-22–3p, HMBG2, proliferation- and metastasis-related proteins were determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot assays. Detection of serological lipids, H&E and Masson staining analysis were conducted to evaluate the AS injury in mice. The effects of ox-LDL treatment on VSMCs were examined by CCK-8, wound scratch and Transwell Chamber assays. The targeted relationship was measured by luciferase reporter and RIP assays. The results showed that SNHG16 and high-mobility group box 2 (HMGB2) expressions were increased while miRNA-22–3p expression was decreased in AS mice and ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs. Functionally, sh-SNHG16 restrained ox-LDL-induced VSMC growth and migration. SNHG16 suppressed miRNA-22–3p expression by direct binding. Furthermore, in ox-LDL-treated VSMCs, miRNA-22–3p mimic prevented proliferation, migration, and invasion. Further explorations showed that HMGB2 was a target of miRNA-22–3p, SNHG16 upregulated HMGB2 levels by acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miRNA-22–3p. More importantly, sh-HMGB2 partially reversed the effects of sh-SNHG16 together with miR-22–2p inhibitor on ox-LDL-induced VSMC proliferation, migration and invasion. Collectively, SNHG16 accelerated atherosclerotic plaque (AP) formation and enhanced ox-LDL-activated VSMCs proliferation and migration by miRNA-22–3p/HMGB2 axis.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a progressive disease of multifactorial origin, which occurs in response to endothelial injury. Increased homocysteine (Hcy) is considered a major cause of endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and DNA methylation; however, the mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether Hcy causes injury to endothelial cells (ECs) by the effect of lectin‑like oxidized‑low density lipoprotein receptor‑1 (LOX‑1) DNA methylation through toll‑like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor (NF)‑κB/DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)1. The ECs were treated with different concentrations of Hcy, and it was found that Hcy promoted the expression of TLR4, leading to EC injury. The effect of oxidative stress was analyzed by measuring superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide in the ECs. In addition, the association between NF‑κB and DNMT1 was examined by treatment of the ECs with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). The results suggested that Hcy induced LOX‑1 DNA hypomethyaltion to promote the expression levels of LOX‑1. Taken together, Hcy injured the ECs through the effect of methylation and trans‑sulfuration metabolism of LOX‑1 through TLR4/NF‑κB/DNMT1. Following injury to the ECs, lipids, particularly ox‑LDL, accumulated in the sub‑endothelial layer to promote the formation of AS.

An incubation experiment and a pot experiment were carried out to investigate the effects of organic materials on microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) content, dry weight, and nitrogen uptake of maize seedlings grown in an acidic purple soil and a calcareous purple soil. The organic materials used included pig manure biogas residue (PM), cattle manure biogas residue (CM), sludge compost (SC), compost from rural domestic waste both with and without 20% sludge (RWC1 and RWC2, respectively). The results showed that MBC content in the acidic and calcareous purple soils increased by 53.63%-102.91% and 12.14%-137.00%, respectively. The slower the decomposition of organic materials and the higher the C/N ratio, the bigger the MBC content of the soils. Furthermore, MBN contents, which were affected by the different forms of organic, increased by 23.37%-150.08% and 35.02%-160.02%, respectively. The MBC/MBN contents of both soils decreased with the increase in the C/N ratio of the organic materials, but a higher C/N ratio was beneficial for maintaining a higher MBN content over an extended period of time. With the exception of CM, the addition of organic materials improved the biomass of maize seedlings, and their nitrogen uptake and utilization rate in both soils were also significantly enhanced, although these effects were less than that achieved through conventional fertilization. The uptake and utilization of nitrogen followed the order of SCPMRWC2RWC1. The inhibiting effect of CM was related to its higher C/N ratio, while the promoting effect of the other materials on nitrogen uptake by the corn seedlings increased as soil MBC/MBN content decreased. Therefore, the influence of organic materials on the change and supply of soil nitrogen was not only related to their properties but also to their effects on soil MBC/MBN content.

Flaccidoside II (FLA II), the primary active constituent from Anemone flaccida rhizome, was proven to exert therapeutic effect against collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). In this study, a research based on the CIA mouse model was carried out in order to elucidate its therapeutic mechanisms preliminarily. The mice were immunized with porcine type-II collagen to induce CIA and administrated intragastrically with FLA II daily from day 7–42 of the first collagen immunization. The arthritis scores as reflected by the severity of paw swelling and erythema were significantly reduced in FLA II (32 mg/kg) from day 33 onwards. On day 42, the joints of FLA II-treated mice exhibited obvious reductions of inflammatory cells infiltration, synovial hyperplasia and bone destruction. When the concentration of FLA II was no less than 40 nmol/ml, the treatment notably inhibited T and B lymphocyte proliferative responses. As compared to the model group, in FLA II groups, the serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) were significantly decreased while those of Th2 type cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) were clearly enhanced. In addition, FLA II treatment showed little regulatory effect on the levels of Th1 type cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-2). The severity of mice CIA was improved by FLA II, further confirming its potential value for the safe treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The main mechanisms likely involve the inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, and the modulation of Th1/Th2-related cytokine balance in CIA.

Carotenoids have good biological activity in antioxidant, anti-aging and scavenging harmful free radicals. In this study, we screened a strain that produced carotenoids, and selected a stress condition which significantly improved carotenoids content. The strain was identified as

Aphid-borne Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) is one of the most economically important viruses of cucurbitaceous plants. To survey and control this virus, it is necessary to develop an efficient detection technique. Using purified ZYMV virion and the conventional hybridoma technology, three hybridoma cell lines (16A11, 5A7 and 3B8) secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against ZYMV Zhejiang isolate were obtained. The working titers of the ascitic fluids secreted by the three hybridoma cell lines were up to 10−7 by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All MAbs were isotyped as IgG1, kappa light chain. Western blot analysis indicated that the MAb 3B8 could specifically react with the coat protein of ZYMV while MAbs 5A7 and 16A11 reacted strongly with a protein of approximately 51 kDa from the ZYMV-infected leaf tissues. According to this molecular weight, we consider this reactive protein is likely to be the HC-Pro protein. Using these three MAbs, we have now developed five detection assays, i.e., antigen-coated-plate ELISA (ACP-ELISA), dot-ELISA, tissue blot-ELISA, double-antibody sandwich ELISA (DAS-ELISA), and immunocapture-RT-PCR (IC-RT-PCR), for the sensitive, specific, and easy detection of ZYMV. The sensitivity test revealed that ZYMV could be readily detected respectively by ACP-ELISA, dot-ELISA, DAS-ELISA and IC-RT-PCR in 1:163 840, 1:2 560, 1:327 680 and 1:1 310 720 (w/v, g mL−1) diluted crude extracts from the ZYMV-infected plants. We demonstrated in this study that the dot-ELISA could also be used to detect ZYMV in individual viruliferous aphids. A total of 275 cucurbitaceous plant samples collected from the Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong and Hainan provinces, China, were screened for the presence of ZYMV with the described assays. Our results showed that 163 of the 275 samples (59%) were infected with ZYMV. This finding indicates that ZYMV is now widely present in cucurbitaceous crops in China. RT-PCR followed by DNA sequencing and sequence analyses confirmed the accuracy of the five assays. We consider that these detection assays can significantly benefit the control of ZYMV in China.

The aim of the present study was to identify an effective method for detecting early‑phase atherosclerosis (AS), as well as to provide useful DNA methylation profiles to serve as biomarkers for the detection of AS. A total of 300 individuals (150 AS patients and 150 healthy subjects) were recruited for peripheral blood DNA methylation analyses at 12 gene promoter loci using nested methylation‑specific polymerase chain reaction in a test set. Based on the test set, the promoter methylation of TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1), ATP binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (ABCA1), and acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1) were determined to be candidate biomarkers; demonstrating the highest sensitivity (88%) and specificity (90%). The biomarkers that were candidates for early AS detection were validated in an independent validation set (n=100). In the validation set, the combination of TIMP1, ABCA1 and ACAT1 methylation achieved sensitivity, specificity and coincidence rate values of 88, 70 and 79%, respectively. In the current pilot study, the patterns of DNA methylation of AS‑associated genes were observed to be significantly altered in the peripheral blood of AS patients. Thus, the AS-specific methylation of the three‑gene panel (TIMP1, ABCA1, and ACAT1) may serve as a valuable biomarker for the early detection of AS.

An aerobic incubation experiment was conducted at a constant temperature to investigate the differences in nitrogen mineralization between an acid purple soil and a calcareous purple soil amended with five organic materials including biogas residues of pig manure(PM), cow manure(CW), sewage sludge compost(SC), rural waste compost(RWC1)and the compost of rural waste plus 20% of sewage sludge(RWC2). The results showed that the organic nitrogen forms in these materials followed the order of amino acid Nhydrolysable unidentified Nammonium Nnon-hydrolysable Namino sugar N. Application of organic materials could significantly improve the contents of NH

CD164 was found to play a role in many malignant diseases. But the roles of CD164 in human bladder cancer have not yet been studied. The object of our study was to investigate the functions of CD164 in urothelial bladder carcinoma. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to evaluate the associations between the expression level of CD164 and clinical‐pathological features of patients, and IHC was used to analyze the relationship between CD164 and CXCR4 in tumor tissues. Real‐time qPCR and Western blot were used to measure the expression of relevant genes. The roles of CD164 in tumor cells and tissues were investigated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results of immunohistochemistry found that CD164 was associated with clinical and pathological features of patients. High level of CD164 was related to the distant metastasis and vascular invasion of bladder cancer patients. In vitro, by silencing of CD164, the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells were inhibited significantly by regulating related proteins such as Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, matrix metalloproteinases‐2, and matrix metalloproteinases‐9. In vivo, knocking‐down of CD164 could reduce the growth and metastasis of tumors in mice. In addition, a co‐expression was found between CD164 and CXCR4 in tumor tissues. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that CD164 was associated with the poor clinical outcomes of BC patients. Silencing of CD164 could inhibit the progression of tumors in vivo and in vitro, which may become an effective target in the treatment of bladder cancer.

Accumulating evidence has suggested that homocysteine (Hcy) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis (AS). Hcy can promote vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, which is pivotal in the pathogenesis and progression of AS. The aim of the present study was to investigate the epigenetic regulatory mechanism of microRNA (miR)‑143‑mediated VSMCs proliferation induced by Hcy. The results of a 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphe‑nyltetrazolium bromide assay revealed that VSMC proliferation was increased by 1.39‑fold following treatment with 100 mM Hcy, compared with the control group. The levels of miR‑143 were markedly downregulated in the Hcy group, compared with the control group, as determined using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. In addition, the level of miR‑143 methylation was increased markedly in the VSMCs treated with Hcy, compared with the control, and was reduced following transfection with DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)3a small interfering RNA, determined using methylation‑specific‑PCR. The activities of DNMT3a luciferase were also altered accordingly in VSMCs transfected with pre‑miR‑143 and miR‑143 inhibitor, respectively. In addition, the expression of miR‑143 was observed to be inversely correlated with the mRNA and protein expression of DNMT3 in the VSMCs. Taken together, these findings suggest that DNMT3a is a direct target of miR‑143, and that the upregulation of DNMT3 is responsible for the hypermethylation of miR‑143 in Hcy-induced VSMC proliferation.

The study investigated the amount of mulching plastic film residue in corn¡¢potato and vegetable fields in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The result shows that there has been a very serious pollution, and the average amount of residue of mulching plastic film remained in the farmland of Inner Mongolia is 36.3kg/hm2. The average amount of residue of mulching plastic film remained in the corn field soils is 56.25 kg/hm2, the potato fields were38.7kg/hm2, the vegetable fields were 25.05kg/hm2. The results also showed that more than 73% residual film remains in the 0 ~ 10cm plow layer, and the amount of plastic film residue depends on duration of utilization of mulching plastic film, and the longer the duration of utilization, the more plastic film residue is left in the field.

Xiaoguang Zhang,1 Tong Zhang,2 Kuo Yang,3 Minghao Zhang,1 Keming Wang1 1Department of Urology, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin, 2Department of Urology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, 3Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China Abstract: The most common cause of death from prostate cancer (PCa) is metastases. There is an increasing body of evidence that microRNAs play an important role in the development of PCa by regulating target genes involved in tumor metastasis. Here, we identified that expression of miR-486-5p was decreased in metastatic C4-2 cells compared to non-metastatic LNCaP cells. Further validation in clinical samples showed that miR-486-5p expression was significantly decreased in metastatic PCa tissues compared to localized PCa tissues. Functional studies demonstrated that increased miR-486-5p expression can suppress cell migration and the invasive ability of C4-2 cells. Moreover, Snail, a key regulator of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, was verified as a target gene of miR-486-5p. In conclusion, these findings suggest that miR-486-5p plays a suppressive role in mediating the migration and invasion of PCa by directly suppressing the protein expression of Snail and may provide a potential therapeutic target for the disease. Keywords: microRNA, prostate cancer, metastasis, EMT

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation is a primary pathological event in atherosclerosis (AS), and homocysteine (Hcy) is an independent risk factor for AS. However, the underlying mechanisms are still lagging. Studies have used the combination of methylation of promoters of multiple genes to diagnose tumors, thus the aim of the current study was to investigate the role of methylation status of several genes in VSMCs treated with Hcy. CpG islands were identified in the promoters of platelet‑derived growth factor (PDGF), p53, phosphatase and tensin homologue on chromosome 10 (PTEN) and mitofusin 2 (MFN2). Hypomethylation was observed to occur in the promoter region of PDGF, hypermethylation in p53, PTEN and MFN2, and hypomethylation in two global methylation indicators, aluminium (Alu) and long interspersed nucleotide element‑1 (Line‑1). This was accompanied by an increase in the expression of PDGF, and reductions of p53, PTEN and MFN2, both in mRNA and protein levels. An elevation of S‑adenosylmethionine (SAM) and a reduction of S‑adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and the SAM/SAH ratio were also identified. In conclusion, Hcy impacted methylation the of AS‑associated genes and global methylation status that mediate the cell proliferation, which may be a character of VSMCs treated with Hcy. The data provided evidence for mechanisms of VSMCs proliferation in AS induced by Hcy and may provide a new perspective for AS induced by Hcy.

Complex adsorption waves of Cu(II), Cd(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) in substrate solution (pH = 9.0) of diacetyldioxime–ammonia–ammonium chloride–sodium citrate–gelatin–ascorbic acid were studied and a new method for determination of trace amounts of Cu, Cd, Ni and Co in aqueous solutions was developed. The results show that there are sensitive complex adsorption waves of Cu(II), Cd(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) complexes at about −0.44, −0.76, −1.07 and −1.24 V, respectively. The method is easy to operate and able to determine Cu, Cd, Ni and Co in aqueous solutions rapidly and simultaneously, and when the signal-to-noise rates equal 3, the detection limits of copper, cadmium, nickel and cobalt are 1.0 × 10−8, 1.3 × 10−8, 2.9 × 10−10 and 3.6 × 10−11 mol/dm3. Good linear relationships exist between the concentrations and the current peaks when those of copper, cadmium, nickel and cobalt are within 2.0 × 10−8 ∼ 10−5, 3.0 × 10−8 ∼ 10−5, 5.4 × 10−10 ∼ 10−7 and 6.8 × 10−11 ∼ 10−8 mol/dm3, respectively. The method ...

A polarographic catalytic wave of cobalt in the substrate solution (pH=8.5) of diacetyldioxime-potassium pyrophosphate-ammonium chloride was studied and a new method for rapid determination of trace cobalt in complex zinc electrolyte solution was developed. The results show that there is a very sensitive catalytic wave of cobalt at -1.23 V. At least three hundred thousand fold Zn2+ does not affect the determination of cobalt. The method is easy to operate and rapid, and when the signal-to-noise rate equals 2, the detection limit is 6 × 10−9 mol·L−1. A good linear relationship exists between the concentration of cobalt within 0.001–3.0 µg·mL−1 and the peak current. The method has successfully been used in the determination of trace cobalt in complex solution of the workshop for electrolyzing zinc.

To explore the effect of oxymatrine (OMT) on JAK2/STAT3 signaling in renal tissues of rats with septic shock.The cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was adopted to establish the rat septic shock model. Fifty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: the sham operation group, the model (CLP) group, CLP + OMT high, middle, low-dose (52, 26, 13 mg x kg(-1), vena caudalis bolus) groups and the positive control (CLP + dexamethasone, 10 mg x kg(-1)) group. The pathological changes in renal tissues were examined with lightmicroscope. BUN content was determined by urine enzymatic method. Expressions of tumournecrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) mRNA in renal tissues were determined by RT-PCR. Expression of JAK2 and STAT3 in renal tissues determined by Western blot. Changes in tumournecrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) contents in renal tissue were determined by radioimmunoassay.OMT of different doses could inhibit the JAK2 and STAT3 activation in renal tissues (P0.05), and decrease the protein expression of JAK2, STAT3, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta mRNA (P0.05). Besides, it could reduce TNF-alpha and IL-1beta contents in renal tissue homogenate (P0.05), serum BUN content (P0.05), and improve such lesions as tissue hyperemia, edema and inflammatory cell infiltration, with identical results in medium and high-dose OMT groups, and the positive control group.OMT can inhibit JAK2/STAT3 signaling activity to reduce the expression of proin-flammatory factors (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta) and treat the renal injury in rats with septic shock.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of oxymatrine (OMT) on JAK/STAT iteral in rat lung tissue with sepsis. METHOD Fifty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: sham operation group, model (CLP) group, CLP + OMT high, middle, low-dose groups (52, 26, 13 mg x kg(-1), vena caudalis bolus), and positive control group (dexamethasone, 10 mg x kg(-1), vena caudalis bolus) to observe the effects of oxymatrine on the ratio between wet weight of the lung and dry weight of the lung (W/D) and pulmonary coefficient, gross changes and pathological changes examined with lightmicroscope in the pulmonary tissue. Changes in JAK2 and STAT3 activity in the pulmonary tissue were determined by immunohistochemical method. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in pulmonary tissue were determined by radioimmunoassay. RESULT OMT could decrease significantly the JAK2 and STAT3 positive reaction and activity in the pulmonary tissue (P < 0.05). TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in pulmonary tissue homogenate decreased markedly (TNF-alpha decreased 36%, 26%, 16% and IL-6 decreased 46%, 39%, 24% on CLP + OMT 52, 26 mg x kg(-1) and 13 mg x kg(-1) groups. P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). OMT could decrease the ratio between wet weight of the lung and dry weight of the lung and the pulmonary coefficient, improve the condition of pulmonary hyperemia, edema, infiltrate of heterophil granulocyte and emerge of asphyxial membrane, and alleviate the inflammatory reaction. And the results were equal to those of the positive control (CLP + dexamethasone) group. CONCLUSION OMT can inhibit JAK/STAT iteral activity and reduce the expression of proinflammatory factor (TNF-alpha, IL-6) and antagonize the lung injury in a rat model of sepsis.

To explore the effects of oxymatrine (OMT) on NF-kappaB and other cell factors in rat lung tissue with septic shock.Fifty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: sham operation group, OMT control group, model (CLP) group, CLP + OMT high, middle, low-dose group, positive control group. Changes in NF-kappaB (p65) and IkB-alpha activity in the pulmonary tissue were determined by immunohistochemical method, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in pulmonary tissue were determined by radioimmunoassay.OMT could decrease significantly the NF-kappaB (p65) and IkB-alpha activity in the pulmonary tissue (P0.05), TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in pulmonary tissue homogenate decreased markedly (P0.05). OMT could elevate the content of PaO2, SaO2, decrease the content of PaCO2, HCO3- and decrease the ratio between wet weight of the lung and dry weight of the lung and the PWI.OMT can inhibit NF-kappaB-inducing kinase (NIK), NF-kappaB activity and reduce the expression of proinflammatory factor (TNF-alpha, IL-6) and antagonize the lung injury in a rat model of septic shock.