We studied an amorphous solid dispersion of berberine with absorption enhancer sodium caprate (Huang-Gui solid dispersion preparations, HGSD). A therapeutic effect of HGSD was revealed in mice with ...type 2 diabetes mellitus and palmitate-induced injury to MIN6 β-cells. HGSD treatment (150 mg/kg) improved glucose metabolism and decreased β-cell apoptosis in diabetic mice. Furthermore, the effective component of HGSD berberine significantly attenuated the palmitate-induced decrease in MIN6 β-cells viability and insulin secretion. Moreover, molecular docking analysis and Western blotting showed that berberine decreased cell apoptosis and expression of group VIA phospholipase A
2
(iPLA
2
), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and caspase-3. These data suggest that HGSD treatment protected β-cells via inhibiting the iPLA
2
/p38 MAPK pathway.
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► Microfluidic hydrodynamic focusing (MHF) was used to synthesize POPC vesicles. ► Characteristics of POPC vesicles were similar to those composed of related molecules. ► POPC ...liposomes are good candidates for biological and medical applications. ► MHF approach extended to modelling of biological systems.
Lipid vesicles have received significant attention in areas ranging from pharmaceutical and biomedical engineering to novel materials and nanotechnology. Microfluidic-based synthesis of liposomes offers a number of advantages over the more traditional synthesis methods such as extrusion and sonication. One such microfluidic approach is microfluidic hydrodynamic focusing (MHF), which has been used to synthesize nanoparticles and vesicles of various lipids. We show here that this method can be utilized in synthesis of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) vesicles with controllable size. Since POPC is among the primary constituents of cellular membranes, this work is of direct applicability to modelling of biological systems and development of nano-containers with higher biologic compatibility for pharmaceutical and medical applications.
The ARGO-YBJ air shower detector monitored the Crab Nebula gamma-ray emission from 2007 November to 2013 February. The integrated signal, consisting of ~3.3 x 10 super(5) events, reached the ...statistical significance of 21.1 standard deviations. The obtained energy spectrum in the energy range 0.3-20 TeV can be described by a power law function dN/dE = I sub(0) (E/2 TeV) super(-alpha), with a flux normalization I sub(0) = (5.2 + or - 0.2) x 10 super(-12) photons cm super(-2) s super(-1) TeV super(-1) and alpha = 2.63 + or - 0.05, corresponding to an integrated flux above 1 TeV of 1.97 x 10 super(-11) photons cm super(-2) s super(-1). The systematic error is estimated to be less than 30% for the flux normalization and 0.06 for the spectral index. Assuming a power law spectrum with an exponential cutoff dN/dE = I sub(0) (E/2 TeV) super(-alpha) exp (-E/E sub(cut)), the lower limit of the cutoff energy E sub(cut) is 12 TeV, at 90% confidence level. Our extended data set allows the study of the TeV emission over long timescales. Over five years, the light curve of the Crab Nebula in 200-day bins is compatible with a steady emission with a probability of 7.3 x 10 super(-2). A correlated analysis with Fermi-LAT data over ~4.5 yr using the light curves of the two experiments gives a Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.56 + or - 0.22. Concerning flux variations on timescales of days, a "blind" search for flares with a duration of 1-15 days gives no excess with a significance higher than four standard deviations. The average rate measured by ARGO-YBJ during the three most powerful flares detected by Fermi-LAT is 205 + or - 91 photons day super(-1), consistent with the average value of 137 + or - 10 day super(-1).
Osteosarcoma is a common bone sarcoma that often occurs in childhood and adolescence. In recent years, the efficacy of osteosarcoma treatments has been improved by adjuvant chemotherapies and ...surgical approaches. However, poor prognosis often occurs among osteosarcoma patients due to recurrence, metastasis, or drug resistance problems. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a specific type of tumor malignant cells with stem cell-like properties, have been reported to be responsible for tumor origination, aggression, metastasis, recurrence, and drug resistance. CSCs have been identified in osteosarcomas treatment, which exhibits self-renewal, multi-potency, and enhanced drug resistance. Therefore, in the present narrative review, we intend to summarize the role of lncRNAs in regulating CSCs and their effectiveness in the treatment of osteosarcoma.
The databases PubMed (Medline), Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, were used for the presented study. The keywords we used to complete our search are 'lncRNA', 'Stem cell', and 'osteosarcoma'. A total of over 800 relevant articles, with a time limit from 2010 to 2021, were identified according to search strategy. Duplicate records and review articles were excluded by their titles and abstracts. Finally, we found about 80 articles matching our inclusion criteria, which included about 13 relevant studies focusing on both the mechanism and effectiveness of osteosarcomas treatment among osteosarcoma patients.
CD133, CD117, ALDH, and Stro-1 are validated as the stem cell biomarkers in osteosarcoma CSCs. Accumulating evidence has revealed that lncRNAs, containing HIF2PUT, SOX2-OT, MALAT1, THOR, B4GALT1-AS1, H19, PVT1, FER1L4, LINK-A, DANCR, and DLX6-AS1, play a potential role in regulating CSCs in osteosarcoma. The drug resistance, inhibition of the relapse, and metastasis in osteosarcoma could be avoided via regulating lncRNAs of targeting CSCs.
Multiple lncRNAs regulate CSCs in osteosarcoma via various molecular mechanisms. This review demonstrated that the method of eliminating CSCs by targeting these lncRNAs is a safe, effective, and a well-tolerated way for osteosarcoma patients, which shows a broad research prospect in tumor diagnoses and therapies. However, this method should be further demonstrated by better animal models and more clinical experiments.
Low loss microwave dielectric materials Li2MgZrO4 were synthesized by solid-state route. The relationship among sintering characteristics, phase composition, microstructure and microwave dielectric ...properties of Li2MgZrO4 ceramics were firstly investigated using X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Network Analyzer. The formation of secondary phases and evaporation of lithium were observed when sintering temperatures exceeded 1175°C. Microwave dielectric properties of Li2MgZrO4 ceramics were affected by sintering characteristics and second phase. In addition, the bond energy of Li2MgZrO4 ceramics was also reported to analyze intrinsic loss. Typically, the ceramics sintered at 1175°C for 4h exhibited excellent microwave dielectric properties with εr=12.30, Q·f =40,900GHz and τf=−12.31ppm/°C.
•New rock-salt structure Li2MgZrO4 were reported with good microwave properties•The ceramics exhibited properties with εr=12.30, Q·f =40,900GHz τf=−12.31ppm/°C.•Bond energy of ceramics was reported for first time to analyze intrinsic loss.
Wolframite-structured Zn1-xMgxZrNb2O8 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) ceramics were synthesized by the conventional solid-state method. The effects of Mg2+ substitution on the sinter ability, crystal structures and ...microwave dielectric properties were systematically investigated. The Q·f values increased from 46,800 GHz to 53,400 GHz when the x value increased from 0 to 0.1. Based on the complex chemical bond theory, the intrinsic parameters were calculated to analyze the mechanism of dielectric loss in Zn0.9Mg0.1ZrNb2O8. The total lattice energy and bond energy of the Zn0.9Mg0.1ZrNb2O8 were higher than that of ZnZrNb2O8, which was corresponding with the decrease of dielectric loss in the wolframite-structured compounds. The dielectric constant (εr) and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) of Zn1-xMgxZrNb2O8 ceramics were also heavily influenced by the addition of Mg2+. Typically, the dense Zn0.9Mg0.1ZrNb2O8 ceramics sintered at 1200 °C exhibited excellent microwave dielectric properties with εr = 27.82, Q·f = 53,400 GHz and τf = −45.82 ppm/°C.
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•Substitution of Mg2+ increased the Q·ƒ values of ZnZrNb2O8 ceramics.•Rietveld refinement was used and obtained the cell parameters.•Influence of lattice energy and bond energy on Q·ƒ values was researched.•Excellent microwave dielectric properties were obtained when x = 0.10.
Dysregulation of miRNAs is associated with cancer development and progression. For example, aberrant expression of miR-874 has been found in some types of cancer. However, miR-874 expression and its ...clinical significance in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not yet been explored. The aim of the current study was to explore the effects of miR-874 in CRC tumorigenesis and development. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR was performed to evaluate miR-874 levels in CRC cell lines and in 135 pairs of primary human CRC specimens and adjacent noncancerous tissues. The association of miR-874 expression with clinicopathological factors and prognosis was also analyzed. Furthermore, the effects of miR-874 on the biological behavior of CRC cells in vitro were investigated. Our results revealed that miR-874 expression was significantly downregulated in CRC cancer tissues and cell lines. Decreased miR-874 expression was significantly associated with larger tumor size, deeper invasion depth, and advanced TNM stage in vivo. Additionally, low miR-874 expression in CRC was an independent predictor of poor survival. Moreover, overexpression of miR-874 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and promoted cell apoptosis of the SW620 CRC cell line in vitro. Taken together, these findings indicate that miR-874 may act as a tumor suppressor in CRC, and may serve as a novel therapeutic target for miR-based therapy.
Surface sediment (0−5 cm) samples were collected from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and the adjacent northern South China Sea (SCS) in July 2002 and analyzed for 25 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ...(PAHs) and 8 organo- chlorine pesticides (OCPs) including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and heptachlor. The total PAHs and OCPs concentrations were 138−1100 and 0.18−3.57 ng/g dry weight, respectively. Compositional pattern analysis suggested that PAHs in the PRE were derived from both pyrogenic and petrogenic sources, whereas most PAHs in the northern SCS were pyrogenically originated. The concentrations of both PAHs and OCPs were higher in the PRE than in the northern SCS, and a decreasing trend with the distance from the estuary to the open sea was observed. In addition, perylene was a predominant component in all samples and clustered with PAH compounds with high log K ow values (from phenanthrene). These findings indicated that river outflows were the major source of contamination in the offshore sediments. A preliminary assessment suggested that atmospheric deposition contributed only a minor portion of PAHs or OCPs in the sediments of the northern SCS. The sediment (0−5 cm) mass inventories were 126 and 423 metric tons for PAHs and were 0.4 and 1.4 metric tons for OCPs in the PRE and the northern SCS, respectively. Clearly, contaminated sediments of the northern SCS may be a potential source of PAHs and OCPs to the global oceans.
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