microRNAs in cancer management Kong, Yi W, PhD; Ferland-McCollough, David, PhD; Jackson, Thomas J ...
The lancet oncology,
06/2012, Letnik:
13, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Summary Since the identification of microRNAs (miRNAs) in 1993, and the subsequent discovery of their highly conserved nature in 2000, the amount of research into their function—particularly how they ...contribute to malignancy—has greatly increased. This class of small RNA molecules control gene expression and provide a previously unknown control mechanism for protein synthesis. As such, it is unsurprising that miRNAs are now known to play an essential part in malignancy, functioning as tumour suppressors and oncogenes. This Review summarises the present understanding of how miRNAs operate at the molecular level; how their dysregulation is a crucial part of tumour formation, maintenance, and metastasis; how they can be used as biomarkers for disease type and grade; and how miRNA-based treatments could be used for diverse types of malignancies.
The study of non-Hermitian systems with parity-time (PT) symmetry is a rapidly developing frontier. Realized in recent experiments, PT-symmetric classical optical systems with balanced gain and loss ...hold great promise for future applications. Here we report the experimental realization of passive PT-symmetric quantum dynamics for single photons by temporally alternating photon losses in the quantum walk interferometers. The ability to impose PT symmetry allows us to realize and investigate Floquet topological phases driven by PT-symmetric quantum walks. We observe topological edge states between regions with different bulk topological properties and confirm the robustness of these edge states with respect to PT-symmetry-preserving perturbations and PT-symmetry-breaking static disorder. Our results contribute towards the realization of quantum mechanical PT-synthetic devices and suggest exciting possibilities for the exploration of the topological properties of non-Hermitian systems using discrete-time quantum walks.
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of pattern recognition receptors involved in cardiovascular diseases. Notably, numerous studies have demonstrated that TLR4 activates the expression of several ...of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes that play pivotal roles in myocardial inflammation, particularly myocarditis, myocardial infarction, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and heart failure. In addition, TLR4 is an emerging target for anti-inflammatory therapies. Given the significance of TLR4, it would be useful to summarize the current literature on the molecular mechanisms and roles of TLR4 in myocardial inflammation. Thus, in this review, we first introduce the basic knowledge of the TLR4 gene and describe the activation and signaling pathways of TLR4 in myocardial inflammation. Moreover, we highlight the recent progress of research on the involvement of TLR4 in myocardial inflammation. The information reviewed here may be useful to further experimental research and to increase the potential of TLR4 as a therapeutic target.
Pd, Au, and Pd−Au mixtures were deposited via physical vapor deposition onto a Mo(110) substrate, and the surface concentration and morphology of the Pd−Au mixtures were determined by low-energy ion ...scattering spectroscopy (LEISS), infrared absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Pd−Au mixtures form a stable alloy between 700 and 1000 K with substantial enrichment in Au compared to the bulk composition. Annealing a 1:1 Pd−Au mixture at 800 K leads to the formation of a surface alloy with a composition Au0.8Pd0.2 where Pd is predominantly surrounded by Au. The surface concentration of this isolated Pd site can be systematically controlled by altering the bulk Pd−Au alloy concentration.
Summary
The association of BMI with falls differed between men and women in Korea. Obesity was associated with a greater risk of falls in women, whereas underweight seemed to increase the risk of ...falls compared with normal weight in men.
Purpose
This study examined the sex-specific association between body mass index (BMI) and falls in Korean adults using data from a large population-based survey.
Methods
We analyzed 113,805 men and women (age ≥ 50 years) who participated in the Korean Community Health Survey in 2013. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between BMI and falls.
Results
The mean (± standard deviation) age and BMI of all participants were 63.8 ± 9.6 years and 23.2 ± 2.9 kg/m
2
, respectively. Among the 113,805 subjects, 19.1% and 6.7% had histories of falls and recurrent falls, respectively. The association of BMI with recurrent falls differed between men and women. The multivariable-adjusted odd ratios (ORs) for recurrent falls were 0.98 (95% confidence interval CI 0.86–1.12), 1.23 (1.14–1.32), and 1.51 (1.26–1.81) in women with BMIs of < 18.5, 25–29.9, and ≥ 30 kg/m
2
, respectively, relative to those with BMIs of 18.5–24.9 kg/m
2
. The corresponding ORs for men were 1.20 (95% CI 1.01–1.42), 1.05 (0.96–1.14), and 0.97 (0.69–1.38), respectively. Older age and low economic level were associated independently with higher ORs of recurrent falls in men and women, respectively. In addition, comorbidities, including diabetes, stroke, arthritis, osteoporosis, and asthma, correlated significantly with an increased risk of recurrent falls (all
p
< 0.001).
Conclusions
Obesity was associated with a greater risk of recurrent falls in women, whereas underweight seemed to be associated with a greater risk of falls in men.
ABSTRACT
We present Chandra observations of 2106 radio-quiet quasars in the redshift range 1.7 ≤ z ≤ 2.7 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), through data release 14 (DR14), that do not contain ...broad absorption lines in their rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) spectra. This sample adds over a decade worth of SDSS and Chandra observations to our previously published sample of 139 quasars from SDSS DR5 that is still used to correlate X-ray and optical/UV emission in typical quasars. We fit the SDSS spectra for 753 of the quasars in our sample that have high-quality (exposure time ≥ 10 ks and off-axis observation angle ≤ 10 arcmin) X-ray observations, and analyse their X-ray-to-optical spectral energy distribution properties (αox and Δαox) with respect to the measured C iv and Mg ii emission-line rest-frame equivalent width (EW) and the C iv emission-line blueshift. We find significant correlations (at the ≥99.99 per cent level) between αox and these emission-line parameters, as well as between Δαox and $\rm{C \, \small{IV}}$ EW. Slight correlations are found between Δαox and $\rm{C \, \small{IV}}$ blueshift, $\rm{Mg \, \small{II}}$ EW, and the $\rm{C \, \small{IV}}$ EW to $\rm{Mg \, \small{II}}$ EW ratio. The best-fitting trend in each parameter space is used to compare the X-ray weakness (Δαox) and optical/UV emission properties of typical quasars and weak-line quasars (WLQs). The WLQs typically exhibit weaker X-ray emission than predicted by the typical quasar relationships. The best-fitting relationships for our typical quasars are consistent with predictions from the disc–wind quasar model. The behaviour of the WLQs compared to our typical quasars can be explained by an X-ray ‘shielding’ model.
Maternal prepregnancy hemoglobin concentration has rarely been explored as a risk of poor birth outcomes. This study examined whether women with anemia before pregnancy would be at higher risk of ...preterm birth, low birth weight (LBW) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth.
This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 70,895 Korean women who delivered a singleton in 1999, with their prepregnancy hemoglobin concentration measured at health examinations in 1997-1999. A logistic model was used to adjust for confounding variables and calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
In adjusted analysis, moderate-to-severe anemia (hemoglobin <100 g/l) before pregnancy was associated with preterm birth (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.05-2.23; P=0.027), LBW (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.24-2.64; P=0.002) and SGA (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.35-2.17; P<0.001) when compared with prepregnancy hemoglobin of 120-149 g/l. Mild anemia (hemoglobin of 100-119 g/l) was also associated with LBW (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.06-1.39; P=0.005) and SGA (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.06-1.25; P=0.001). The risk of preterm birth, LBW and SGA across 11 prepregnancy hemoglobin groups depended on the severity of anemia (P for trend=0.042, 0.019, and 0.001, respectively). A high hemoglobin concentration (≥150 g/l), however, was not associated with adverse birth outcomes.
Anemia, not high hemoglobin concentration, before pregnancy was associated with an elevated risk of preterm birth, LBW and SGA, and the risk increased with the severity of anemia in Korean women.
Abstract
We present updated measurements of the O
iii
88
μ
m, C
ii
158
μ
m, and dust continuum emission from a star-forming galaxy at
z
= 7.212, SXDF-NB1006-2, by utilizing Atacama Large ...Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) archival data sets analysed in previous studies and data sets that have not been analysed before. The follow-up ALMA observations with higher angular resolution and sensitivity reveal a clumpy structure of the O
iii
emission on a scale of 0.32–0.85 kpc. We also combined all the ALMA O
iii
(C
ii
) data sets and updated the O
iii
(C
ii
) detection to 5.9
σ
(3.6
σ
–4.5
σ
). The non-detection of C
ii
with data from the REBELS large program implies the incompleteness of spectral-scan surveys using C
ii
to detect galaxies with high star formation rates (SFRs) but marginal C
ii
emission at high-
z
. The dust continuum at 90 and 160
μ
m remains undetected, indicating little dust content of <3.9 × 10
6
M
⊙
(3
σ
), and we obtained a more stringent constraint on the total infrared luminosity. We updated the O
iii
/C
ii
luminosity ratios to 10.2 ± 4.7 (6.1 ± 3.5) and 20 ± 12 (9.6 ± 6.1) for the 4.5
σ
and 3.6
σ
C
ii
detections, respectively, where the ratios in the parentheses are corrected for the surface brightness dimming effect on the extended C
ii
emission. We also found a strong C
ii
deficit (0.6–1.3 dex) between SXDF-NB1006-2 and the mean
L
C
II
−SFR relation of galaxies at 0 <
z
< 9.
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), is known to impair testicular functions and reproduction. However, its effects on immature testis Blood-testis barrier (BTB) and the underlying mechanisms remain ...obscure. We constructed a rat model to investigate the roles of autophagy in BTB toxicity induced by DEHP. Sprague–Dawley rats were developmentally exposed to 0, 250 and 500 mg/kg DEHP via intragastric administration from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND 35. Testicular morphology, expressions of BTB junction proteins and autophagy related proteins were detected. In addition, expressions of oxidative stress markers were also analyzed. Our results demonstrated that developmental DEHP exposure induced decreasing organ coefficients of immature testes and severe testicular damage in histomorphology. The expressions of junctional proteins were down-regulated significantly after DEHP treatment. Intriguingly, DEHP simultaneously increased the number of autophagosomes and the levels of autophagy marker LC3-II and p62, suggesting that the accumulated autophagosomes resulted from impaired autophagy degradation. Moreover, the expressions of HO-1 and SOD levels remarkably decreased after DEHP exposure. Vitamins E and C could alleviate the DEHP-induced oxidative stress, reverse the autophagy defect and restore the BTB impairment. Taken together, DEHP exposure destroys immature testis blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity through excessive ROS-mediated autophagy.
Background. Since 1986, researchers have noted a syndrome of Klebsiella pneumoniae pyogenic liver abscess that is complicated by endophthalmitis or central nervous system infections. There are ...limited data regarding the role of bacterial genotype in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 177 cases of K. pneumoniae pyogenic liver abscess treated during 1997–2005 at a tertiary university hospital in Taiwan. We performed bacterial cps genotyping by polymerase chain reaction detection of serotype-specific alleles at wzy and wzx loci and used an in vitro serum assay to evaluate the virulence of bacterial strains. Results. Septic ocular or central nervous system complications developed in 23 patients (13%). Logistic regression analysis showed that genotype K1 was the only significant risk factor (adjusted odds ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–15.7, P = .009). The serum resistance assay indicated that, on average, K1 strains (n = 100) were significantly more virulent than were strains of K2 (n = 36), K20/K5/K54 (n = 21), or other genotypes (n = 20) (P <t; .001 for each comparison). In addition to the serotype-specific cps region, the genomic background of K1 strains also differed significantly from that of non-K1 strains (20-kb kfu/PTS region, 97/100 vs. 13/77; P <t; .001). of the 19 cases in which genotype K1 strains caused complications, 8 patients (42%) did not have identifiable underlying medical diseases. Conclusions. K. pneumoniae genotype K1 is an emerging pathogen capable of causing catastrophic septic ocular or central nervous system complications from pyogenic liver abscess independent of underlying diseases in the host.
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