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Yan Yan, Xue-Qi Li, Jia-Lun Duan, Chun-Jie Bao, Yi-Nuo Cui, Zhan-Bo Su, Jia-Rui Xu, Qian Luo, Ming Chen, Ying Xie, Wan-Liang LuState Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug System, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaBackground: Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is an effective strategy for improving treatment of breast cancers. However, the efficacy of this treatment strategy is limited for treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Gene therapy may be a more effective strategy for improving the prognosis of TNBC.Methods: A novel 25 nucleotide sense strand of miRNA was designed to treat TNBC by silencing the Slug gene, and encapsulated into DSPE-PEG2000-tLyp-1 peptide-modified functional liposomes. The efficacy of miRNA liposomes was evaluated on invasive TNBC cells and TNBC cancer-bearing nude mice. Furthermore, functional vinorelbine liposomes were constructed to investigate the anticancer effects of combined treatment.Results: The functional miRNA liposomes had a round shape and were nanosized (120 nm). Functional miRNA liposomes were effectively captured by TNBC cells in vitro and were target to mitochondria. Treatment with functional liposomes silenced the expression of Slug and Slug protein, inhibited the TGF-β1/Smad pathway, and inhibited invasiveness and growth of TNBC cells. In TNBC cancer-bearing mice, functional miRNA liposomes exerted a stronger anticancer effect than functional vinorelbine liposomes, and combination therapy with these two formulations resulted in nearly complete inhibition of tumor growth. Preliminary safety evaluations indicated that the functional miRNA liposomes did not affect body weight or cause damage to any major organs. Furthermore, the functional liposomes significantly increased the half-life of the drug in the blood of cancer-bearing nude mice, and increased drug accumulation in breast cancer tissues.Conclusion: In this study, we constructed novel functional miRNA liposomes. These liposomes silenced Slug expression and inhibited the TGF-β1/Smad pathway in TNBC cells, and enhanced anticancer efficacy in mice using combined chemotherapy. Hence, the present study demonstrated a promising strategy for gene therapy of invasive breast cancer.Keywords: functional miRNA liposomes, Slug, TGF-β1/Smad, gene therapy, TNBC

Lei Liu,1,* Hong-Jun Xie,2,* Li-Min Mu,1 Rui Liu,1 Zhan-Bo Su,1 Yi-Nuo Cui,1 Ying Xie,1 Wan-Liang Lu1 1Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug System, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China; 2Department of Medicament, College of Medicine, Tibet University, Lhasa, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: The existing chemo/radiotherapy fail to eliminate cancer cells due to the restriction of either drug resistance or radio tolerance. The predicament urges researchers to continuously explore alternative strategy for achieving a potent curative effect. Methods: Functional chlorin gold nanorods (Ce6-AuNR@SiO2-d-CPP) were fabricated aiming at treating breast cancer by photothermal/photodynamic therapy (PTT/PDT). The nanostructure was developed by synthesizing Au nanorods as the photothermal conversion material, and by coating the pegylated mesoporous SiO2 as the shell for entrapping photosensitizer Ce6 and for linking the D-type cell penetrating peptide (d-CPP). The function of Ce6-AuNR@SiO2-d-CPP was verified on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and MCF-7 cells xenografts in nude mice. Results: Under combinational treatment of PTT and PDT, Ce6-AuNR@SiO2-d-CPP demonstrated a strong cytotoxicity and apoptosis inducing effects in breast cancer cells in vitro, and a robust treatment efficacy in breast cancer-bearing nude mice. The uptake mechanism involved the energy-consuming caveolin-mediated endocytosis, and Ce6-AuNR@SiO2-d-CPP in PTT/PDT mode could induce apoptosis by multiple pathways in breast cancer cells. Conclusion: Ce6-AuNR@SiO2-d-CPP demonstrated a robust efficacy in the treatment of breast cancer by photothermal/photodynamic therapy. Therefore, the present study could offer a new promising strategy to treat the refractory breast cancer. Keywords: functional chlorin gold nanorods, cell penetrating peptide, PTT/PDT, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, apoptosis

Ling-Hui Dian,1,2,* Ying-Jie Hu,1,* Jia-Ye Lin,1 Jing-Ying Zhang,1 Yan Yan,1 Yi-Nuo Cui,1 Zhan-Bo Su,1 Wan-Liang Lu1 1State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 2School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Aim: Oral chemotherapy using anticancer drugs would improve the clinical practice and the life quality of patients. The aim of the present study was to develop paclitaxel hybrid nanomicelles for oral administration to treat resistant breast cancer. Methods: Evaluations were performed on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, drug-resistant breast cancer MCF-7/Adr cells, and in MCF-7/Adr-xenografted BALB/c nude mice. The nanomicelles were composed of the polymer soluplus, d-α-tocopheryl polyethyleneglycol 1000 succinate (TPGS1000), and dequalinium (DQA). The constructed paclitaxel hybrid nanomicelles were ~65 nm in size. Results: The nanomicelles improved cellular uptake and anticancer efficacy in the resistant breast cancer cells and induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. The mechanism of the apoptosis-inducing effect was related to the co-localization of the nanomicelles with mitochondria; the activation of pro-apoptotic protein Bax, cytochrome C, and apoptotic enzymes caspase 9 and 3; and the inhibition of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Oral administration of paclitaxel hybrid nanomicelles had the same anticancer efficacy as the intravenous injection of taxol in resistant breast cancer-bearing mice. The oral suitability of this formulation was associated with the nanostructure and the actions of TPGS1000 and DQA. Conclusion: The fabricated paclitaxel hybrid nanomicelles could provide a promising oral formulation to treat drug-resistant breast cancer. Keywords: paclitaxel, nanomicelles, oral, drug-resistant breast cancer, mice

Background: In recent years, high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) has been widely used in clinic, especially in perioperative period. Many studies have discussed the role of HFNO in pre- and apneic oxygenation, but their results are controversial. Our study aimed to examine the effectiveness of HFNO in pre- and apneic oxygenation by a meta-analysis of RCTs., Methods: EMBASE, PUBMED, and COCHRANE LIBRARY databases were searched from inception to July 2021 for relevant randomized controlled trails (RCTs) on the effectiveness of HFNO versus standard facemask ventilation (FMV) in pre- and apenic oxygenation. Studies involving one of the following six indicators: (1) Arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO 2 ), (2) End expiratory oxygen concentration (EtO 2 ), (3) Safe apnoea time, (4) Minimum pulse oxygen saturation (SpO 2min ), (5) Oxygenation (O 2 ) desaturation, (6) End expiratory carbon dioxide (EtCO 2 ) or Arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure(PaCO 2 ) were included. Due to the source of clinical heterogeneity in the observed indicators in this study, we adopt random-effects model for analysis, and express it as the mean difference (MD) or risk ratio (RR) with a confidence interval of 95% (95%CI). We conducted a risk assessment of bias for eligible studies and assessed the overall quality of evidence for each outcome., Results: Fourteen RCTs and 1012 participants were finally included. We found the PaO 2 was higher in HFNO group than FMV group with a MD (95% CI) of 57.38 mmHg (25.65 to 89.10; p = 0.0004) after preoxygenation and the safe apnoea time was significantly longer with a MD (95% CI) of 86.93 s (44.35 to 129.51; p < 0.0001) during anesthesia induction. There were no significant statistical difference in the minimum SpO 2 , CO 2 accumulation, EtO 2 and O 2 desaturation rate during anesthesia induction between the two groups., Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that HFNO should be considered as an oxygenation tool for patients during anesthesia induction. Compared with FMV, continuous use of HFNO during anesthesia induction can significantly improve oxygenation and prolong safe apnoea time in surgical patients., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Relapse of cancer is associated with multidirectional differentiation and unrestricted proliferative replication potential of cancer stem cells. Herein, we propose the plastic differentiation strategy for irreversible differentiation of cancer stem cells; further, salinomycin and its newly constructed functional liposomes are used to implement this strategy. Whole gene, cancer stem cell-related RNA, and protein expression analyses reveal that salinomycin induces the cancer stem cells into normal cells, dormant cells, and mature cancer cells. Besides, the results indicate that the gatekeeper is related to the inhibition of the protein kinase C (PKC) α signaling pathway. The differentiated normal or dormant cells are incorporated into normal tissue, whereas the rest are killed by chemotherapy. The findings would offer the evidence for plastic differentiation of cancer stem cells and propose a novel strategy for cancer therapy., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Objective: To compare clinical effect of dynamic locking screws and common screws in treating humeral shaft fractures., Methods: From January 2016 to October 2018, clinical data of 46 patients with humeral shaft fracture were retrospectively analyzed, which were divided into dynamic locking screw internal fixation group (treatment group) and ordinary screw internal fixation group (control group). In treatment group, there were 14 males and 10 females, aged from 20 to 61 years old with an average of (36.8±10.9) years old;22 patients in control group, there were 13 males and 9 females, aged from 19 to 60 years old with an average of (35.9±12.8) years old. Length of incision, operation time, amount of bleeding, fracture healing time and complications were compared between two groups, Constant-Murley score of shoulder joint and Mayo score of elbow joint at 3 and 9 months after operation were compared to evaluate clinical effect., Results: Forty six patients were followed up from 9 to 43 months with an average of (18.6±7.9) months. There were no statistical differences in length of incision, operation time, amount of bleeding between two groups ( P >0.05);fracture healing time in treatment group was (12.2±3.2) weeks, and (15.6±4.7) weeks in control group;there was difference between two groups ( P <0.05). Constant-Murley score and Mayo score of elbow joint at 3 months after operation in treatment group were 84.9±5.9 and 81.8±6.7, while in control group were 74.6±9.2 and 71.5±10.7;there were differences between two groups ( P <0.05). There were no statistical differences in Constant-Murley score and Mayo score of elbow joint between two groups at 9 months after operation ( P >0.05);One patient occurred neural paralysis in treatment group;1 patient occurred delayedunion, 2 patients occurred bone nonunion and 1 patient occurred broken nail in control group;while there was no statistical difference between two groups in complication., Conclusion: Both of dynamic locking screws and ordinary screws could effectively treat humeral shaft fractures. dynamic locking screws has an advantage in fracture healing time, and recovery of early shoulder and elbow function. However, the active time of this technology is not too long in China, further study on long-term efficacy of large samples is needed.

In this study, spatial atomic layer deposition (sALD) is employed to prepare titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin films by using titanium tetraisopropoxide and water as metal and water precursors, respectively. The post-annealing temperature is varied to investigate its effect on the properties of the TiO 2 films. The experimental results show that the sALD TiO 2 has a similar deposition rate per cycle to other ALD processes using oxygen plasma or ozone oxidant, implying that the growth is limited by titanium tetraisopropoxide steric hindrance. The structure of the as-deposited sALD TiO 2 films is amorphous and changes to polycrystalline anatase at the annealing temperature of 450 °C. All the sALD TiO 2 films have a low absorption coefficient at the level of 10 -3 cm -1 at wavelengths greater than 500 nm. The annealing temperatures of 550 °C are expected to have a high compactness, evaluated by the refractive index and x-ray photoelectron spectrometer measurements. Finally, the 550 °C-annealed sALD TiO 2 film with a thickness of ~8 nm is applied to perovskite solar cells as a compact electron transport layer. The significantly enhanced open-circuit voltage and conversion efficiency demonstrate the great potential of the sALD TiO 2 compact layer in perovskite solar cell applications.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is often associated with inflammation. Increasing evidence has identified the role for ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) in activating the expression of inflammatory factors in macrophages. The present study evaluated whether USP7 also mediates histone acetyltransferase Tat-interactive protein 60 (Tip60) in the development of ALI inflammation. An ALI mouse model was induced by intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. Next, lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and the ratio of dry weight/wet weight of lung were examined to evaluate tissue damage. In addition, RAW 264.7 cells were treated with LPS to induce an in vitro LPS-induced inflammatory cell model. ELISA was performed to measure expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in cells and tissues. TUNEL was used to detect LPS-induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the interaction between USP7 and Tip60 was identified by IP, Western blot analysis, and cycloheximide (CHX) treatment. The enrichment of Tip60 and H3K27ac in the promoter region of IL-6 and IL-8 was assessed by ChIP. USP7 was highly expressed in LPS-endotoxin-induced ALI mouse models and silencing of USP7 delayed the progression of ALI in mice. Silencing of USP7 protected RAW 264.7 cells against LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis by downregulating IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8. USP7 enhanced Tip60 protein stability, and Tip60 increased the enrichment of H3K27ac on IL-6 and IL-8 promoter region and activated NF-κB p65 to increase IL-6 and IL-8 expression. These findings reveal a new post-transcriptional role for USP7 in inflammation by stabilizing Tip60 and increasing the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, and implicate USP7 inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents for ALI. KEY MESSAGES: USP7 expresses highly in an acute lung injury (ALI) mouse models. Silencing of USP7 inhibits inflammation and cell apoptosis in ALI mouse. USP7 stabilizes Tip60 to boost the release of IL-6 and IL-8. Tip60 increases IL-6 and IL-8 expression by acetylating NF-κB p65. Silencing of USP7 alleviates ALI by repressing NF-κB p65 and Tip60.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of using the eyelash reflex as an indicator to calculate the individualised optimal target concentration in anesthesia induction during painless gastroscopy., Study Design: Experimental study., Place and Duration of Study: China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, China, from January to December in 2016., Methodology: A total of 180 patients, who were scheduled to receive painless fibergastroscopic examination or treatment in the last three months, were enrolled in this study. All patients were randomly divided into three groups, according to the doctor visiting order (n=60, each). During the induction of anesthesia using propofol target-controlled infusion, the effectsite concentration upon the disappearance of the eyelash reflex (C0) was recorded first. Then, one ug/kg of fentanyl was injected. At the same time, the target effect-site concentration induced by propofol was determined: the effect-site concentration in group A was 1.5 times of C0, the effect-site concentration in group B was two times of C0, and the effectsite concentration in group C was 2.5 times of C0., Results: During anesthesia induction, the incidence of motor responses was higher in group A than in groups B and C (p<0.05), and the incidence of hypoxemia was significantly higher in group C than in groups A and B (p<0.01)., Conclusion: In the anesthesia option of fentanyl combined with propofol target-controlled infusion, the effect-site concentration of propofol can be set to two times of that at the time the eyelash reflex disappears. This study provides a new pre-assessment method for the induction dose of propofol in painless gastroscopy.

Objective: Larotaxel is a new chemical structure drug, which has not been marketed worldwide. Accordingly, the standard identification and quantification methods for larotaxel remain unclear. The spectrometric analyses were performed for verifying weight molecular formula, molecular weight and chemical structure of larotaxel. Besides, a quantification method was developed for measuring larotaxel in the liposomes., Methods: The molecular formula, molecular weight and chemical structure of larotaxel were studied by using mass spectrometry (MS), infra-red (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometric techniques. The absorption wavelength of larotaxel was investigated by UV-vis spectrophotometry full-wavelength scanning. Besides, a quantification method was developed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and then validated by measuring the encapsulation efficacy of larotaxel liposomes., Results: The four spectral characteristics of larotaxel were revealed and the corresponding standard spectra were defined. It was confirmed that larotaxel had the structure of tricyclic diterpenoids, with the molecular formula of C45H53NO14, the molecular weight of 831.900 1, and the maximum absorption wavelength of 230 nm. The quantitative method of larotaxel was established by using HPLC with a reversed phase C18 column (5 μm, 250 mm×4.6 mm), a mobile phase of acetonitrile-water (75:25, volume/volume), and a detection wavelength of 230 nm. The validation study exhibited that the established HPLC method was stable, and had a high recovery and precision in the quantitative measurement of larotaxel in liposomes. In addition, a new kind of larotaxel liposomes was also successfully prepared. The particle size of the liposomes was about 105 nm, with an even size distribution. And the encapsulation efficiency of larotaxel in the liposomes was above 80%., Conclusion: The present study offers reference standard spectra of larotaxel, including MS, IR, NMR, and UV-vis, and confirms the molecular formula, molecular weight and chemical structure of larotaxel. Besides, the study develops a rapid HPLC method for quality control of larotaxel liposomes.

The mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) is a potential strategy in the pretreatment of traumatic acute lung injury (ALI), a disease that causes inflammation and oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate whether MSC-exosomal microRNA-124-3p (miR-124-3p) affects traumatic ALI. Initially, a traumatic ALI rat model was established using the weight-drop method. Then, exosomes were obtained from MSCs of Sprague-Dawley rats, which were injected into the traumatic ALI rats. We found that miR-124-3p was abundantly-expressed in MSCs-derived exosomes and could directly target purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 7 (P2X7), which was overexpressed in traumatic ALI rats. After that, a loss- and gain-of-function study was performed in MSCs and traumatic ALI rats to investigate the role of miR-124-3p and P2X7 in traumatic ALI. MSC-derived exosomal miR-124-3p or silenced P2X7 was observed to increase the survival rate of traumatic ALI rats and enhance the glutathione/superoxide dismutase activity in their lung tissues. However, the wet/dry weight of lung tissues, activity of methylenedioxyamphetamine and H 2 O 2 , and levels of inflammatory factors (TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-8) were reduced. Similarly, the numbers of total cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were also reduced when treated with exosomal miR-124-3p or silenced P2X7. In conclusion, the results provide evidence that miR-124-3p transferred by MSC-derived exosomes inhibited P2X7 expression, thus improving oxidative stress injury and suppressing inflammatory response in traumatic ALI, highlighting a potential pretreatment for traumatic ALI.

Bone tendon junction injury is hard to cure because of its special anatomical structure, and the treatment applied for bone-tendon junction injury cannot result in the perfect vascular regeneration and restoration of the fibrocartilage zone. In this article, we aim to explore the effect of caveolin-1 as a slow-release material on bone-tendon junction healing. Seventy-two New Zealand rabbits were randomly selected and assigned into the experimental, sham-operated and control groups (n = 24). Caveolin-1 microspheres and microcapsule were developed as drug delivery system. At the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks after surgery, quadriceps muscle patella-patellar tendon (QMPPT) was obtained from each rabbit to observe the tendon-to-bone tunnel healing, and X-ray examination, histological examination and biomechanical testing were applied for evaluating new bone formation. As the X-ray showed, caveolin-1 increased the new bone area at each time point. At the 4th and 8th weeks after surgery, the rabbit treated with caveolin-1 slow release material showed repair of fibrocartilage. According to the biomechanical results, the cross-sectional area, breaking load and ultimate tensile strength were increased along with time. At the same time point, caveolin-1 increased the ultimate tensile strength. Our study demonstrates that caveolin-1 as a slow-release material could accelerate bone-tendon junction healing by promoting the formation of the transition zone., (© 2019 The Authors. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

In this study, we investigated the relationship between propofol and autophagy and examined whether this relationship depends on ER stress, production of ROS (reactive oxygen species), and disruption of calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis. To this end, we measured C2C12 cell apoptosis in vitro, along with Ca2+ levels; ROS production; and expression of proteins and genes associated with autophagy, Ca2+ homeostasis, and ER stress, including LC3 (microtubule-associate protein 1 light chain 3), p62, AMPK (adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase), phosphorylated AMPK, mTOR (the mammalian target of rapamycin), phosphorylated mTOR, CHOP (C/BEP homologous protein), and Grp78/Bip (78 kDa glucose-regulated protein). We found that propofol treatment induced autophagy, ER stress, and Ca2+ release. The ratio of phosphorylated AMPK to AMPK increased, whereas the ratio of phosphorylated mTOR to mTOR decreased. Collectively, the data suggested that propofol induced autophagy in vitro through ER stress, resulting in elevated ROS and Ca2+. Additionally, co-administration of an ER stress inhibitor blunted the effect of propofol., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background/aims: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation resulting from airway hyper-responsiveness to diverse stimuli. In this study, we investigated whether microRNA-142 (miR-142) expression affects proliferation and apoptosis in airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) during airway remodeling in asthmatic rats., Methods: Thirty six Wistar rats were randomly classified into a control group and an model group. miR-142 mimics and inhibitors were constructed, and ASMCs were transfected using liposomes according to the following groups: blank, negative control (NC), miR-142 mimics, miR-142 inhibitors, si-TGF-β and miR-142 inhibitors + si-TGF-β. We verified that miR-142 targets TGF-β using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. The expression levels of miR-142, TGF-β, EGFR and apoptosis signaling pathway-related genes were determined using RT-qPCR and western blotting. Changes in cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis were analyzed using MTT assays and flow cytometry., Results: Rats with asthma had higher expression levels of EGFR and Akt and lower miR-142 levels. miR-142 was negatively correlated with TGF-β expression. In ASMCs, the expression of TGF-β, EGFR, Akt, phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl and the rate of early apoptosis were decreased while expression of Bax and p21 and the proliferation rate were elevated with the upregulation of miR-142. The opposite results were observed with the downregulation of miR-142. Finally, the proliferative rate was decreased while the apoptosis rate was increased and expression levels of EGFR, Akt, p-Akt, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl were reduced while Bax and p21 were elevated in the ASMCs transfected with miR-142 inhibitors and si-TGF-β., Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that miR-142 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis in ASMCs during airway remodeling in asthmatic rats by inhibiting TGF-β expression via a mechanism involving the EGFR signaling pathway., (© 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background/aims: Chronic respiratory conditions continue to plague millions of people worldwide. We aimed to elucidate the detailed mechanisms of microRNA-485 (miR-485) in airway smooth muscle cell (ASMC) proliferation and apoptosis in chronic asthmatic mice., Methods: A mouse model of chronic asthma was established. Ovalbumin was used to induce chronic asthma in the mice. The levels of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13 and IL-17 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in mice were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISAs). ASMCs were transfected with miR-485 mimic, miR-485 inhibitor and siRNA-Smurf2. The reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analyses were applied to detect the mRNA and protein levels of Smurf2, α-SMA, TGF-β1 and decapentaplegic homolog (Smads). The MTT assay was utilized for cell proliferation, while flow cytometry was conducted to assess cell cycle distribution and apoptosis., Results: Lower expression of miR-485 and higher expression levels of TGF-β1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and IL-17 were detected in mice with chronic asthma. Smurf2 was identified as the target gene of miR-485. Upregulation of miR-485 mimic and downregulation of Smurf2 decreased expression levels of Smurf2, α-SMA, TGF-β1 and Smad3, inhibited cell proliferation and increased apoptosis, while contrary results were observed in ASMCs transfected with miR-485 inhibitor., Conclusion: Overexpressed miR-485 inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis of ASMCs through the Smurf2-mediated TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway in mice with chronic asthma., (© 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Aim: The present meta-nalysis investigates the prognostic value of osteopontin. (OPN) expression in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. (NSCLC)., Materials and Methods: The Web of Science (1945 ~ 2013), the Cochrane Library Database (Issue 12, 2013), PubMed (1966 ~ 2013), EMBASE (1980 ~ 2013), CINAHL (1982 ~ 2013), and the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM) (1982 ~ 2013) were searched, without language restrictions, to retrieve studies related to OPN and NSCLC. We compiled carefully selected data and a meta-analysis was conducted using STATA software (Version 12.0, Stata Corporation, and College Station, Texas USA). Hazard ratios (HR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated., Results: Ten clinical cohort studies were selected for statistical analysis, representing a total of 1,133 NSCLC patients. The main findings of our meta-analysis are that patients who were OPN-positive had significantly shorter overall survival than OPN-negative patients. (HR = 1.47, 95%CI = 1.15. ~ 1.79,P< 0.001). Ethnicity.stratified analysis revealed a significant correlation between expression levels of OPN and poor prognosis of NSCLC patients among both Caucasians and Asians. (Asians: HR = 1.53, 95%CI = 0.95. ~ 2.11, P < 0.001; Caucasians: HR = 1.56, 95%CI = 1.08. ~ 2.03, P < 0.001; respectively)., Conclusions: The present meta-analysis is consistent with the hypothesis that increased expression of OPN protein may be significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC.

In the present study, carbon nanocages (CNCs) decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with diameters of 2-5 nm were synthesized by simply mixing their solutions. The sizes of the AuNPs are small enough to diffuse into the inside of the CNCs by electrostatic incorporation and their morphologies were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectrometry, Raman spectrometry and ultraviolet visible absorption spectra. The AuNPs@CNCs modified electrode was prepared for simultaneous highly sensitive determination of catechol (CC) and hydroquinone (HQ). This modified electrode demonstrated fantastic eletrochemical catalytic activities towards CC and HQ by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The calibration curves showed a linear response between the peak currents and the concentrations of CC and HQ. A wide dynamic detection range of 1.0-250.0 μM and 0.1-200.0 μM with a low detection limits (S/N = 3) of 0.0986 μM and 0.0254 μM can be obtained for CC and HQ respectively. The present method was successfully employed for determination of CC and HQ in a practical sample.

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of the arthroscopic Mender II stapler for the treatment of patients with meniscus anterior horn injury needing meniscal suture repair., Methods: Among 47 patients with meniscus anterior horn injury, 29 patients were male and 18 patients were female, ranging in age from 12 to 31 years old, with a mean age of (20.53± 4.12) years old. The duration of disease ranged from 3 to 35 days, and the average duration was (12.43±5.74) days. The Mender II stapler was used to carry out arthroscopic suture from outside to inside. The Lysholm knee scoring system was used to evaluate and analyze preoperative and postoperative symptoms, such as pain, limping embolism and so on., Results: Forty-six patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 12 to 48 months, with a mean of (20.53±4.12) years. The incision healed at the first stage without important vessels and nerves injuries. The symptoms of the locked knee joint disappeared, and symptoms such as pain, limp, swelling and limitation of activity improved. The Lysholm score increased from preoperative 52.33±7.31 to postoperative 86.74±6.92., Conclusion: Using Mender II stapler to treat patients with meniscus anterior horn injury who were treated with arthroscopic suture from outside to inside is effective to improve symptoms, and to obtain good short-term results.

The whole spectrum usually contains a lot of redundant information in the near-infrared spectroscopy model, the presence of redundant information will increase the model resolution time and increase the difficulty of parsing model, Therefore, how to select the characteristic wavelength quickly and effectly is very crucial. In this paper, we combined the algorithm based on SPA (successive projections algorithm ) with IPLS (interval partial least squares ) to selec the characteristic wavelength in the fermentation of wheat straw microbial biomass, A total of 85 samples prepared by measuring microbial biomass using glucosamine method, 68 samples are chosen as calibration set and 17 simples are chosen as verification set. First, the whole spectral region 520 points are segmented modeling according to the interval wavelength point size 10, 20, 30, 40 and 4 450~4 925 cm-1, 9 194~9 993 cm-1 two-band range are selected as the characteristic wavelength band, then pick out the new feature wavelength points by Successive Projections Algorithm band and Genetic Algorithm (GA), comprehensive analysis and comparison the result of model. The experimental results show that the using of IPLS-SPA algorithm to select the combination band 4 450~4 925 cm-1 & 9 194~9 993 cm-1 has the best modeling effect, compared with the modeling of whole spectrum, the wavelength points decrease from 520 to 10, the correction coefficient of determination R2 rised from 0. 884 9 to 0. 945 28, root mean square error (RMSE) dropped from 11. 104 9 to 8. 203 3, although the genetic algorithm model achieved the better accuracy, but the results are instable and have a strong randomness , while IPLS combined SPA method can select characteristic wavelength information stability and accurately, which can improve the model calculation speed and reduce the fitting difficulty of the model, it can be used as a new reference method for band selection. The results show that using near infrared spectroscopy method for straw biomass rapid detection is feasible.

Based on the Noether's theorem, we develop systematically and rigorously the spin-dependent formulation of the conservation laws. The effect of the electronic polarization due to the spin-orbit coupling is included in the Maxwell equations. The polarization is related to the antisymmetric components of spin current, and it provides a possibility to measure the spin current directly. The variances of spin and orbit angular momentum currents imply a torque on the "electric dipole" associated with the moving electron. The dependencies of the torque on the polarization and the force on the motions of spin-polarized electrons in a two-dimensional electron gas with the Rashba spin-orbit coupling are discussed.

Layered organic superconductors are on the verge of the Mott insulator. We use the Gutzwiller variational method to study a two-dimensional Hubbard model including a spin exchange coupling term as a minimal model for the compounds. The ground state is found to be a Gossamer superconductor at small on-site Coulomb repulsion U and an antiferromagnetic Mott insulator at large U, separated by a first order phase transition. Our theory is qualitatively consistent with major experiments reported in organic superconductors.

We present a general theory for the Fano resonance in Anderson impurity systems. It is shown that the broadening of the impurity level leads to an additional and important contribution to the Fano resonance around the Fermi surface, especially in the mixed valence regime. This contribution results from the interference between the Kondo resonance and the broadened impurity level. Being applied to the scanning tunneling microscopic experiments, we find that our theory gives a consistent and quantitative account for the Fano resonance line shapes for both Co and Ti impurities on Au or Ag surfaces. The Ti systems are found to be in the mixed valence regime.

We have investigated the physical effects of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction in copper benzoate. In the low-field limit, the spin gap is found to vary as H(2/3)ln((1/6)(J/mu(B)H(s)) (H(s): an effective staggered field induced by the external field H) in agreement with the prediction of conformal field theory, while the staggered magnetization varies as H(1/3) and the ln((1/3)(J/mu(B)H(s)) correction predicted by conformal field theory is not confirmed. The linear scaling relation between the momentum shift and the magnetization is broken. We have determined the coupling constant of the DM interaction and have given a complete quantitative account for the field dependence of the spin gaps along all three principal axes, without resorting to additional interactions such as interchain coupling. A crossover to strong applied field behavior is predicted for further experimental verification.

The metal-insulator crossover of the in-plane resistivity upon temperature decrease, recently observed in several classes of cuprate superconductors, when a strong magnetic field suppresses the superconductivity, is explained using the U(1)xSU(2) Chern-Simons gauge field theory. The origin of this crossover is the same as that for a similar phenomenon observed in heavily underdoped cuprates without magnetic field. It is due to the interplay between the diffusive motion of the charge carriers and the "peculiar" localization effect due to short-range antiferromagnetic order. We also calculate the in-plane transverse magnetoresistance which is in fairly good agreement with available experimental data.