Preparation and characterization of a novel triple composite scaffold containing silk fibroin, chitosan, extracellular matrix and the mechanism of Akt/FoxO signaling pathway in colonic cancer cells cultured in 3D

This work examined the physical and chemical properties and biocompatibility in vivo and in vitro of a unique triple composite scaffold incorporating silk fibroin, chitosan, and extracellular matrix. The materials were blended, cross-linked, and freeze-dried to create a composite scaffold of silk fibroin/chitosan/colon extracellular matrix (SF/CTS/CEM) with varying CEM contents. The SF/CTS/CEM (1:1:1) scaffold demonstrated the preferable shape, outstanding porosity, favorable connectivity, good moisture absorption, and acceptable and controlled swelling and degradation properties. Additionally, HCT-116 cells cultivated with SF/CTS/CEM (1:1:1) showed excellent proliferation capacity, cell malignancy, and delayed apoptosis, according to the in vitro cytocompatibility examination. We also examined the PI3K/PDK1/Akt/FoxO signaling pathway and discovered that cell culture using a SF/CTS/CEM (1:1:1) scaffold may prevent cell death by phosphorylating Akt and suppressing FoxO expression. Our findings demonstrate the potential of the SF/CTS/CEM (1:1:1) scaffold as an experimental model for colonic cancer cell culture and for replicating the three-dimensional in vivo cell growth environment

Continuous Monitoring of the Surface Water Area in the Yellow River Basin during 1986–2019 Using Available Landsat Imagery and the Google Earth Engine

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) has been facing severe water shortages; hence, the long-term dynamic monitoring of its surface water area (SWA) is essential for the efficient utilization of its water resources and sustainable socioeconomic development. In order to detect the changing trajectory of the SWA of the YRB and its influencing factors, we used available Landsat images from 1986 through to 2019 and a water and vegetation indices-based method to analyze the spatial–temporal variability of four types of SWAs (permanent, seasonal, maximum and average extents), and their relationship with precipitation (Pre), temperature (Temp), leaf area index (LAI) and surface soil moisture (SM).The multi-year average permanent surface water area (SWA) and seasonal SWA accounted for 46.48% and 53.52% in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), respectively. The permanent and seasonal water bodies were dominantly distributed in the upper reaches, accounting for 70.22% and 48.79% of these types, respectively. The rate of increase of the permanent SWA was 49.82 km2/a, of which the lower reaches contributed the most (34.34%), and the rate of decrease of the seasonal SWA was 79.18 km2/a, of which the contribution of the source region was the highest (25.99%). The seasonal SWA only exhibited decreasing trends in 13 sub-basins, accounting for 15% of all of the sub-basins, which indicates that the decrease in the seasonal SWA was dominantly caused by the change in the SWA in the main river channel region. The conversions from seasonal water to non-water bodies, and from seasonal to permanent water bodies were the dominant trends from 1986 to 2019 in the YRB. The SWA was positively correlated with precipitation, and was negatively correlated with the temperature. Because the permanent and seasonal water bodies were dominantly distributed in the river channel region and sub-basins, respectively, the change in the permanent SWA was significantly affected by the regulation of the major reservoirs, whereas the change in the seasonal SWA was more closely related to climate change. The increase in the soil moisture was helpful in the formation of the permanent water bodies. The increased evapotranspiration induced by vegetation greening played a significant positive role in the SWA increase via the local cooling and humidifying effects, which offset the accelerated water surface evaporation caused by the atmospheric warming

GABRD promotes progression and predicts poor prognosis in colorectal cancer

Little is known about the functional roles of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor subunit delta (GABRD) in colorectal cancer (CRC). The expression of GABRD between CRCs and adjacent normal tissues (NTs), metastasis and primary tumors was compared using public transcriptomic datasets. A tissue microarray and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) were used to determine the clinical and prognostic significance of the GABRD in CRC. We used gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments to investigate the in vitro roles of GABRD in cultured CRC cells. We characterized the potential mechanism of GABRD’s activities in CRC using a Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) with The Cancer Genome Atlas Colon Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-COAD) dataset. We found that the GABRD expression was significantly increased in CRCs compared to that in NTs, but was similar between metastasis and primary tumors. Overexpression of GABRD was significantly associated with later pTNM stages and unfavorable patient survival. Overexpression of GABRD accelerated while knock-down of GABRD inhibited cell growth and migration. Mechanistically, the function of GABRD might be ascribed to its influence on major oncogenic events such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, and hedgehog signaling. Collectively, GABRD could be a novel prognostic predictor for CRC that deserves further investigation

Optical Molecular Imaging Frontiers in Oncology: The Pursuit of Accuracy and Sensitivity

Cutting-edge technologies in optical molecular imaging have ushered in new frontiers in cancer research, clinical translation, and medical practice, as evidenced by recent advances in optical multimodality imaging, Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI), and optical image-guided surgeries. New abilities allow in vivo cancer imaging with sensitivity and accuracy that are unprecedented in conventional imaging approaches. The visualization of cellular and molecular behaviors and events within tumors in living subjects is improving our deeper understanding of tumors at a systems level. These advances are being rapidly used to acquire tumor-to-tumor molecular heterogeneity, both dynamically and quantitatively, as well as to achieve more effective therapeutic interventions with the assistance of real-time imaging. In the era of molecular imaging, optical technologies hold great promise to facilitate the development of highly sensitive cancer diagnoses as well as personalized patient treatment—one of the ultimate goals of precision medicine

Distribution and Habitat Characteristics of the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) in the Northern Beibu Gulf, China

Studies on the distribution and habitat characteristics of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) indicate a general preference toward estuarine environments. However, quantitative connections between this preference and estuarine characteristics are seldom investigated. Distribution of the humpback dolphin in the northern Beibu Gulf, China, was evaluated through systematically designed surveys and was compared to oceanographic characteristics from on-board measured and remotely sensed variables. The humpback dolphins' core distribution zone, measured by the 50% kernel density estimate (50% KDE), was confined to the Dafengjiang River Estuary in a 50.23 km(2) area, with a steep-edged underwater sand bar below and locally high chlorophyll-a concentration. The surface salinity distribution showed an eco-cline environment in which riverine runoff mixes with sea water in the 50% KDE. We found significant relationships between distribution probability and two oceanographic variables: (1) water depth and (2) chlorophyll-a concentration. This associates the distribution preference of humpback dolphins with regional productivity and biodiversity peaks that may facilitate prey aggregation. As humpback dolphins inhabit comparable environments in other locations throughout their range, the oceanographic features of the 50% KDE may help to provide proxies to identify other key habitats over a broader spatial scale