MiR-106b promotes cell proliferation via targeting RB in laryngeal carcinoma

MiR-106b is frequently up-regulated in various types of human cancer including laryngeal carcinoma. However the underlying mechanism of miR-106b involved in laryngeal carcinoma remains elusive. Here we showed that reduction of miR-106b induced cell cycle G0/G1 arrest by targeting tumor suppressor RB in human laryngeal carcinoma cells. Further, Introducing RB cDNA without 3'UTR abrogated miR-106b-induced cell proliferation. Finally, there was an inverse relationship between RB and miR-106b expression in laryngeal carcinoma tissues. To our knowledge, these data indicate for the first time that miR-106b directly regulate cell cycle by targeting RB in laryngeal carcinoma and that miR-106b could be potential therapeutic approaches for laryngeal carcinoma

Variations in the Hemagglutinin of the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Virus: Potential for Strains with Altered Virulence Phenotype?

A novel, swine-origin influenza H1N1 virus (H1N1pdm) caused the first pandemic of the 21st century. This pandemic, although efficient in transmission, is mild in virulence. This atypical mild pandemic season has raised concerns regarding the potential of this virus to acquire additional virulence markers either through further adaptation or possibly by immune pressure in the human host. Using the mouse model we generated, within a single round of infection with A/California/04/09/H1N1 (Ca/04), a virus lethal in mice—herein referred to as mouse-adapted Ca/04 (ma-Ca/04). Five amino acid substitutions were found in the genome of ma-Ca/04: 3 in HA (D131E, S186P and A198E), 1 in PA (E298K) and 1 in NP (D101G). Reverse genetics analyses of these mutations indicate that all five mutations from ma-Ca/04 contributed to the lethal phenotype; however, the D131E and S186P mutations—which are also found in the 1918 and seasonal H1N1 viruses—in HA alone were sufficient to confer virulence of Ca/04 in mice. HI assays against H1N1pdm demonstrate that the D131E and S186P mutations caused minor antigenic changes and, likely, affected receptor binding. The rapid selection of ma-Ca/04 in mice suggests that a virus containing this constellation of amino acids might have already been present in Ca/04, likely as minor quasispecies

Formation of Ultrafine-Grained Ti3Al on a Ti48Al2Cr2Nb Intermetallic Alloy Induced by Pulsed Electron Beam Treatment

The microstructure modifications, phase, and texture formations encountered in a TiAl based Ti48Al2Cr2Nb intermetallic alloy induced by the high current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) treatment were carefully investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) techniques. The initial material contains the majority γ-TiAl phase and the minority α-Ti3Al phase. After the HCPEB treatment, the initial α-Ti3Al was dissolved into the melted layer and the very top surface is covered by ultrafine-grained α-Ti3Al phase having thermal stress induced cracks. EBSD analyses showed that α-Ti3Al phase on the very top surface has a 001//ND fiber texture and its texture intensity increases with the number of pulses. The superfast thermal stress cycles and the selective evaporation induced by the HCPEB treatment account for the microstructure modifications and formations of ultrafine α-Ti3Al in the TiAl based intermetallic alloy

Surface Nanostructure Formations in an AISI 316L Stainless Steel Induced by Pulsed Electron Beam Treatment

High current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) is an efficient technique for surface modifications of metallic materials. In the present work, the formations of surface nanostructures in an AISI 316L stainless steel induced by direct HCPEB treatment and HCPEB alloying have been investigated. After HCPEB Ti alloying, the sample surface contained a mixture of the ferrite and austenite phases with an average grain size of about 90 nm, because the addition of Ti favors the formation of ferrite. In contrast, electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analyses revealed no structural refinement on the direct HCPEB treated sample. However, transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations showed that fine cells having an average size of 150 nm without misorientations, as well as nanosized carbide particles, were formed in the surface layer after the direct HCPEB treatment. The formation of nanostructures in the 316L stainless steel is therefore attributed to the rapid solidification and the generation of different phases other than the steel substrate in the melted layer

The Therapeutic Evaluation of Spinal Canal Decompression by Using the TBEIS Technique in the Treatment of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Objective. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the percutaneous endoscopic Transforaminal Broad Easy Immediate Surgery (TBEIS) technology in elderly patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Methods. From February 2016 to May 2018, 35 elderly patients with LSS were treated with the TBEIS technique. There were 23 males and 12 females, aged from 53 to 72 years with a median age of 63.1 years. Preoperative, 1 day, and 1 and 12 months postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were statistically analyzed. The modified MacNab criterion was used to assess the clinical effects. The radiological outcomes were evaluated by X-ray and computed tomography (CT). Results. All of the operations were successful. The operative time ranged from 120 to 170 min with a median time of 148 min. All of the patients were followed up for 12 to 38 months with a median follow-up of 18 months. Preoperative, 1 day, and 1 and 12 months postoperative VAS leg scores were 6.91±0.98, 1.69±0.68, 1.23±0.59, and 0.91±0.61, respectively, and the VAS back scores improved from 4.51±0.82 to 0.66±0.68. The ODI scores were 63.82±7.59, 38.79±6.36, 24.79±3.90, and 11.33±3.92, respectively. Postoperative scores of VAS and ODI were obviously improved (P<0.01). According to the modified MacNab criteria used to evaluate the clinical effects, 11 cases achieved excellent results, 18 cases achieved good results, 4 cases achieved fair results, and 2 cases achieved poor results. There were no neurovascular injury and other complications. Conclusions. Treatment of LSS in the elderly patients by the TBEIS technology has good clinical efficacy, and the technique is safe and minimally invasive

Graphene-like g-C3N4 nanosheets/sulfur as cathode for lithium-sulfur battery

Recently, various sulfur anchoring materials have been implied to improve the performance of lithium sulfur (Li-S) battery. Herein, we introduced graphene-like g-C3N4 nanosheets (GCN), a sheet-like material with high nitrogen (N) content of 56 wt % and high specific surface area of 209.8 m(2) g(-1), as a host to anchor lithium polysulfides. The composite with 70.4 wt % sulfur loading exhibited an initial reversible capacity of 1250 mA h g(-1) at 0.05C and a discharge capacity of 578.0 mA h g(-1) at 0.5C over 750 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performances can be attributed to the abundant N atoms in the GCN, which have the ability to anchor lithium polysulfides. Meanwhile, the high surface area of the GCN prevent sulfur, Li2S2 and Li2S from agglomerating. The result demonstrates that the GCN with abundant N atoms and high specific surface area could improve the electrochemical performance of Li-S battery effectively. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Activated mammalian target of rapamycin is associated with T regulatory cell insufficiency in nasal polyps

Abstract Background Decreased infiltration of Foxp3+ T regulatory cell (Treg) is considered to be critical for the Th1/Th2 dysregulation of nasal polyps, while the cellular mechanism underlying Foxp3+ Treg insufficiency is currently not well defined. Methods We attempted to investigate the tissue expression of phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (pmTOR) and infiltration of Foxp3+ Tregs in 28 nasal polyps and 16 controls by histological staining. We also evaluated the effects of blocking the mTOR signaling pathway with rapamycin on T cell phenotype selection and Foxp3+CD4+ Tregs expansion in a tissue culture system. Results Significantly increased infiltration of pmTOR+ inflammatory cells and decreased infiltration of Foxp3+CD4+ Tregs into nasal polyps was observed, with an inverse association. In the tissue culture system, we detected significantly elevated Foxp3 expression and IL-10 production, as well as an increased percentage of Foxp3+ Tregs in nasal polyps after blocking the mTOR signaling pathway with rapamycin. Conclusion Here we demonstrate for the first time that the mTOR signaling pathway is associated with Foxp3+ Tregs insufficiency in nasal polyps. Inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway may be helpful for enhancement of Foxp3+ Treg expansion, as well as modulation of T cell phenotype imbalances in nasal polyps.</p

Integrating multiple microarray dataset analysis and machine learning methods to reveal the key genes and regulatory mechanisms underlying human intervertebral disc degeneration

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), a major cause of lower back pain, has multiple contributing factors including genetics, environment, age, and loading history. Bioinformatics analysis has been extensively used to identify diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for IDD diagnosis and treatment. However, multiple microarray dataset analysis and machine learning methods have not been integrated. In this study, we downloaded the mRNA, microRNA (miRNA), long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), and circular RNA (circRNA) expression profiles (GSE34095, GSE15227, GSE63492 GSE116726, GSE56081 and GSE67566) associated with IDD from the GEO database. Using differential expression analysis and recursive feature elimination, we extracted four optimal feature genes. We then used the support vector machine (SVM) to make a classification model with the four optimal feature genes. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the model’s performance, and the expression profiles (GSE63492, GSE116726, GSE56081, and GSE67566) were used to construct a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network and explore the underlying mechanisms of the feature genes. We found that three miRNAs (hsa-miR-4728-5p, hsa-miR-5196-5p, and hsa-miR-185-5p) and three circRNAs (hsa_circRNA_100723, hsa_circRNA_104471, and hsa_circRNA_100750) were important regulators with more interactions than the other RNAs across the whole network. The expression level analysis of the three datasets revealed that BCAS4 and SCRG1 were key genes involved in IDD development. Ultimately, our study proposes a novel approach to determining reliable and effective targets in IDD diagnosis and treatment