Estradiol regulates miR-135b and mismatch repair gene expressions via estrogen receptor-β in colorectal cells.

Estrogen has anti-colorectal cancer effects which are thought to be mediated by mismatch repair gene (MMR) activity. Estrogen receptor (ER) expression is associated with microRNA (miRNA) expression in ER-positive tumors. However, studies of direct link between estrogen (especially estradiol E2), miRNA expression, and MMR in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been done. In this study, we first evaluated the effects of estradiol (E2) and its antagonist ICI182,780 on the expression of miRNAs (miR-31, miR-155 and miR-135b) using COLO205, SW480 and MCF-7 cell lines, followed by examining the association of tissue miRNA expression and serum E2 levels using samples collected from 18 colorectal cancer patients. E2 inhibited the expressions of miRNAs in COLO205 cells, which could be reversed by E2 antagonist ICI 182.780. The expression of miR-135b was inversely correlated with serum E2 level and ER-β mRNA expression in CRC patients' cancer tissues. There were significant correlations between serum E2 level and expression of ER-β, miR-135b, and MMR in colon cancer tissue. This study suggests that the effects of estrogen on MMR function may be related to regulating miRNA expression via ER-β, which may be the basis for the anti-cancer effect in colorectal cells

Impact analysis of model combined by hand-arm and golf club when striking ball

Golf is an extremely popular activity that over 60 million of people enjoy playing it. Overuse injuries associated with the back, neck, wrist, shoulder, elbow, knee, etc., are common for both professional and amateur player due to golf swing. A lot of researchers investigate the mechanical behavior of golf club or biological response of human body individually. But there is little study on the dynamic interaction between the hand-arm and golf club mashie (HAGCM) when striking ball. Solidworks package is used to draw the 3D geometric model of a left hand-arm contacted at the grip of the golf club. Then the 3D biomechanical model is imported into ANSYS software for transient (impact) analysis. Due to complicated geometry of the sharp edge at the club head and the hand-arm, the tetrahedral element is applied for all components of HAGCM to save computer resource during ANSYS process. Finite element convergence test is obtained before any further analysis. In order to simulate the ball-striking, the hitting surface of the club head is subjected to the impact force of 22 N within 0.01 seconds. All the deformations, principle and shear stresses of the time response found in the vibrating golf head, shaft, grip and hand are compared with each other. Normal and eccentric impact analyses for HAGCM are examined as well. The angular velocity found in eccentric impact is much higher than that in normal impact, and it will cause the muscle to exert more power to hold the golf club

Postnatal maintenance of the 5-Ht1a-Pet1 autoregulatory loop by serotonin in the raphe nuclei of the brainstem

BACKGROUND: Despite the importance of 5-HT1A as a major target for the action of several anxiolytics/antidepressant drugs, little is known about its regulation in central serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) neurons. RESULTS: We report that expression of 5-HT1A and the transcription factor Pet1 was impaired in the rostral raphe nuclei of mice lacking tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2) after birth. The downregulation of Pet1 was recapitulated in 5-Ht1a( -/- ) mice. Using an explant culture system, we show that reduction of Pet1 and 5-HT1A was rescued in Tph2( -/- ) brainstem by exogenous 5-HT. In contrast, 5-HT failed to rescue reduced expression of Pet1 in 5-Ht1a( -/- ) brainstem explant culture. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a causal relationship between 5-HT1A and Pet1, and reveal a potential mechanism by which 5-HT1A-Pet1 autoregulatory loop is maintained by 5-HT in a spatiotemporal-specific manner during postnatal development. Our results are relevant to understanding the pathophysiology of certain psychiatric and developmental disorders

Direct n-body simulations of tidal disruption rate evolution in unequal-mass galaxy mergers

The hierarchical galaxy formation model predicts supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) in galactic nuclei. Due to the gas poor environment and the limited spatial resolution in observations they may hide in the center of many a galaxy. However, a close encounter of a star with one of the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) may tidally disrupt it to produce a tidal disruption event (TDE) and temporarily light up the SMBH. In a previous work, we investigated with direct N-BODY simulations the evolution of TDE rates of SMBHB systems in galaxy mergers of equal mass. In this work we extend to unequal mass mergers. Our results show that, when two SMBHs are far away from each other, the TDE rate of each host galaxy is similar as in an isolated galaxy. As the two galaxies and their SMBHs separation shrinks, the TDE rate is increasing gradually until it reaches a maximum shortly after the two SMBHs become bound. In this stage, the averaged TDE rate can be enhanced by several times to an order of magnitude relative to isolated single galaxies. Our simulations show that the dependence of the TDE accretion rate on the mass ratio in this stage can be well fitted by power law relations for both SMBHs. After the bound SMBHB forms, the TDE rate decreases with its further evolution. We also find that in minor mergers TDEs of the secondary SMBH during and after the bound binary formation are mainly contributed by stars from the other galaxy.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Ap

Di-μ-chlorido-bis­[chlorido(N,N-di­methyl­ethylenediamine-κ2 N,N′)zinc(II)]

The centrosymmetric dinuclear title compound, [Zn2Cl4(C4H12N2)2], is isostructural with its previously reported CuII analogue [Phelps, Goodman & Hodgson (1976 ▶). Inorg. Chem. 15, 2266–2270]. In the title compound, each of the ZnII ions is coordinated by two N atoms from a chelating N,N-dimethyl­ethylenediamine ligand, two bridging Cl atoms and one terminal Cl atom. The coordination environment is distorted square-pyramidal. The Zn—Cl bond distances of the two bridging Cl atoms are distinctly different: the equatorial Cl atom exbibits a Zn—Cl distance of 2.318 (1) Å and the axial Cl atom exbibits a Zn—Cl distance of 2.747 (2) Å, which is significantly longer. The mol­ecule can thus be seen as a dimer of two nearly square-planar monomeric units which are related to each other by an inversion center located in the middle of the dimer. Within one monomeric unit, the Zn atom, the two N atoms and the two Cl atoms are almost coplanar, with a mean deviation of only 0.05 (1) Å from the associated least-squares plane. The Zn⋯Zn distance within the dimer is 3.472 (3) Å. N—H⋯Cl and C—H⋯Cl hydrogen-bond inter­actions connect neighboring mol­ecules with each other

(E)-2-[(2-Amino-4,5-dibromo­phen­yl)imino­meth­yl]-6-methoxy­phenol

The title compound, C14H12Br2N2O2, was prepared from the condensation of 4,5-dibromo-1,2-phenyl­enediamine and 2-hydr­oxy-3-methoxy­benzaldehyde in methanol. The N=C double bond shows a trans conformation and the dihedral angle between the aromatic ring planes is 5.9 (4)°. In the crystal structure, there are intra­molecular O—H⋯N and N—H⋯N and inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, the latter resulting in inversion dimers

Data Processing Pipeline for Pointing Observations of Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope

We describe the data processing pipeline developed to reduce the pointing observation data of Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT), which belongs to the Chang'e-3 mission of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The pointing observation program of LUT is dedicated to monitor variable objects in a near-ultraviolet (245-345 nm) band. LUT works in lunar daytime for sufficient power supply, so some special data processing strategies have been developed for the pipeline. The procedures of the pipeline include stray light removing, astrometry, flat fielding employing superflat technique, source extraction and cosmic rays rejection, aperture and PSF photometry, aperture correction, and catalogues archiving, etc. It has been intensively tested and works smoothly with observation data. The photometric accuracy is typically ~0.02 mag for LUT 10 mag stars (30 s exposure), with errors come from background noises, residuals of stray light removing, and flat fielding related errors. The accuracy degrades to be ~0.2 mag for stars of 13.5 mag which is the 5{\sigma} detection limit of LUT.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Minor changes and some expounding words added. Version accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science (Ap&SS

B-type natriuretic peptide is neither itch-specific nor functions upstream of the GRP-GRPR signaling pathway

BACKGROUND: A recent study by Mishra and Hoon identified B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) as an important peptide for itch transmission and proposed that BNP activates spinal natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPRA) expressing neurons, which release gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) to activate GRP receptor (GRPR) expressing neurons to relay itch information from the periphery to the brain (Science 340:968–971, 2013). A central premise for the validity of this novel pathway is the absence of GRP in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. To this end, they showed that Grp mRNA in DRG neurons is either absent or barely detectable and claimed that BNP but not GRP is a major neurotransmitter for itch in pruriceptors. They showed that NPRA immunostaining is perfectly co-localized with Grp-eGFP in the spinal cord, and a few acute pain behaviors in Nppb( -/- ) mice were tested. They claimed that BNP is an itch-selective peptide that acts as the first station of a dedicated neuronal pathway comprising a GRP-GRPR cascade for itch. However, our studies, along with the others, do not support their claims. FINDINGS: We were unable to reproduce the immunostaining of BNP and NPRA as shown by Mishra and Hoon. By contrast, we were able to detect Grp mRNA in DRGs using in situ hybridization and real time RT-PCR. We show that the expression pattern of Grp mRNA is comparable to that of GRP protein in DRGs. Pharmacological and genetic blockade of GRP-GRPR signaling does not significantly affect intrathecal BNP-induced scratching behavior. We show that BNP inhibits inflammatory pain and morphine analgesia. CONCLUSIONS: Accumulating evidence demonstrates that GRP is a key neurotransmitter in pruriceptors for mediating histamine-independent itch. BNP-NPRA signaling is involved in both itch and pain and does not function upstream of the GRP-GRPR dedicated neuronal pathway. The site of BNP action in itch and pain and its relationship with GRP remain to be clarified

{6,6′-Dimeth­oxy-2,2′-[4-bromo-o-phenyl­enebis(nitrilo­methyl­idyne)]diphenolato}nickel(II) methanol solvate

In the title compound, [Ni(C22H17BrN2O4)]·CH3OH, the NiII ion is in a slightly distorted square-planar geometry involving an N2O2 atom set of the tetra­dentate Schiff base ligand. The asymmetric unit contains one nickel complex and one methanol solvent mol­ecule. The dihedral angle between the aromatic ring planes of the central aromatic ring and other two aromatic rings are 10.8 (3) and 6.0 (2)°. The crystal structure is stabilized by inter­molecular C—H⋯O and C—H⋯Br and by intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds