Overexpression of Long Non-coding RNAs MCM3AP-AS1 and LINC00092 Predict Poor Prognosis in Patients with Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

Background: LINC00092 and MCM3AP-AS1 long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play significant roles in the development and pathogenesis of many cancers. However, their expression levels and prognostic values were not evaluated in human gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the clinico-pathological correlations of LINC00092 and MCM3AP-AS1, LncRNAs expression in GAC, and evaluate their prognostic values. Materials and Methods: The expression of LINC00092 and MCM3AP-AS1 was detected in 89 GAC tissues by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: Our results showed that LINC00092 and MCM3AP-AS1 are overexpressed in GAC patients and positively correlated with GAC invasion and vascular, peritoneal, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the results indicated that MCM3AP-AS1 (P = 0.0225) and LINC00092 (P < 0.001) have positive correlations with GAC patients' overall survival. Conclusion: Altogether, the present results indicated that LINC00092 and MCM3AP-AS1 overexpression is associated with clinico-pathological characteristic of GAC patients. In addition, both of these LncRNAs may have prognostic value for estimation of patients' overall survival.

Smart Doped Polyaniline Coating for Wireless Anodic Protection of AISI 304 Stainless Steel in a Corrosive Medium Containing Sulfate and Chloride Ions: Electrochemical and DFT Evaluations.

Polyaniline (PANI) coatings have the capability of in situ anodic protection of stainless steels (SSs). However, these coatings have a high degradation rate in sulfuric acid. Also, the protection of SSs in a medium contaminated with chloride ions is an unsolved challenge. Therefore, the present work aims to modify the electrodeposited PANI coating with different dopants to find the optimal coating for the anodic protection of 304 SS in chloride-contaminated sulfuric acid. Thus, CH3COO-, HSO4-, NO3-, H2PO4-, and NaSO4- were doped electrochemically in PANI to determine the most effective corrosion depressor. Density functional theory (DF)T calculations determined that the lowest Gibbs free energy (more spontaneous doping) is for HSO4- doping by 24 kcal/mol. The band gap energy is <0.5 eV for the PANI/H2SO4 coating, indicating the very high conductivity of this coating. Monte Carlo simulation revealed that the highest deformation energy is related to PANI/H2SO4 at 1877 kcal/mol (stronger adsorption). Mott-Schottky and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) results showed that PANI doped with sulfuric acid creates a p-type semiconductor (Ni-rich), while the rest of the dopants lead to the formation of an n-type semiconductor passive film (Fe/Cr-rich). Despite the relatively low corrosion resistance of PANI/H2SO4 in the early days, its resistance improved over time by more than 1 order of magnitude. Therefore, this seems to be a more favorable option for long-term anodic protection. Thus, in this work, the corrosion behavior of the passive film formed at the interface of PANI and SS was comprehensively evaluated.

Assessing the quantity of neuropeptide Y in the serum of patients referred to Baqiyatallah Hospital with covid-19 concerning inflammatory factors following steroid therapy.

PURPOSE: With the extensive presence of Covid-19, it is imperative to find compounds that can obstruct the virus's inflammatory activity and perhaps even stop the inflammatory phase from occurring. Several neuropeptides act as immune system regulators, which nerve terminals release as co-transmitters. It has been suggested that Neuropeptide Y (NPY) may be involved in inflammatory diseases through its ability to regulate the function of inflammatory cells. Consequently, the present study was designed to examine the changes in this neuropeptide in the serum of patients with Covid-19 disease, particularly following anti-inflammatory treatment, and its relationship with other inflammatory factors such as TNF-α. METHODS: The demographic information, vital and clinical signs (blood oxygen saturation level, blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature), laboratory factors such as blood factors, inflammation, and blood electrolytes, as well as the use of steroids, were collected before and after steroid treatment the patient files. As part of the study, serum samples from patients were used to measure levels of NPY and TNF-α inflammatory factors using an ELISA kit. Additionally, the correlation between NPY values, other inflammatory factors, and other variables was examined before and after treatment. RESULTS: NPY, TNF-α, c-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels were significantly reduced after steroid treatment. But the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) factor level increased after treatment compared to the initial evaluation. Lymphocytes and neutrophils also changed after drug treatment. Results indicated a high correlation between NPY and TNF-α. In addition to TNF-α, NPY, creatinine, and BUN presented a direct and significant relationship. ESR and BUN factors showed a positive and significant correlation regarding the length of hospitalization. However, the correlation between NPY and TNF-α with hospitalization length was insignificant. CONCLUSION: Since the current study had a significant association between NPY and TNF-α, the regulating function of this peptide in Covid-19 inflammatory processes may be validated. Enough that it is crucial to consider NPY as a marker and its antagonist as a potential Covid-19 therapy. Also, the considerable reduction in NPY levels after steroid therapy to lower inflammatory variables supports the regulatory function of this peptide in inflammatory processes.

Amelioration of pain and anxiety in sleep-deprived rats by intra-amygdala injection of cinnamaldehyde.

Background: Sleep disorders are accompanied by increased anxiety and somatic pain. In addition, it has been observed that anxiety and pain have a boosting effect on each other, resulting in continued sleep disturbances. Amygdala's (CeA) central nucleus plays a crucial role in these processes. Cinnamaldehyde (Cinn) is an aromatic compound with anti-anxiety, antioxidant, and sleep-promoting properties. The present study uses sleep-deprived rats to examine the effects of an intra-CeA injection of Cinn on pain and anxiety. Methods: Sleep deprivation (SD) was induced using the platform technique. 35 male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. Anxiety state and nociception were evaluated among groups using formalin test (F.T.), open field test (OFT), and elevated plus maze (EPM). Anxiety tests (OFT and EPM) were conducted in all groups. The first group was undergone FT without induction of SD (SD-FT+). The second group received SD without FT(SD+FT-). The third group received both SD and FT(SD+FT+). The treatment and vehicle groups have undergone both SD and FT in addition to the respectively intra-CeA injection of Cinn (SD+FT+ Cinn) and Cinn vehicle (SD+FT+ VC). The recorded behaviors were analyzed between groups using IBM SPSS 24th version. Results: SD did not lead to any significant difference in nociceptive behaviors in FT between groups SD-FT+ and SD+FT+ (P ≥ 0.05). At the same time, there was a considerable discrepancy in rearing behaviors (P < 0.006) and the number of fecal boli (P < 0.004) recorded in OFM between these groups. Treatment with Cinn led to decreased nociception (P < 0.038), decreased rearing behaviors (P < 0.01), and reduced defecation (P < 0.004) in group SD + FT+ Cinn in comparison to the group SD+FT+. There were no differences in anxiety test results between the first and second groups (P ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: SD can lead to elevated anxiety, while intra-CeA injection of Cinn ameliorated both perceptions of acute pain and anxiety. Besides, the conduction of FT before the anxiety test led to no disturbance in the results of anxiety tests.

One-Step Electrodeposition of a Mesoporous Ni/Co-Imidazole-Based Bimetal-Organic Framework on Pyramid-like NiSb with Abundant Coupling Interfaces as an Ultra-Stable Heterostructural Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting.

The exploration of highly efficient metal-organic framework (MOF)-based electrocatalysts is a research topic of high significance owing to their potential applications in sustainable and clean energy production. Herein, a mesoporous MOF containing Ni and Co nodes along with 2-methylimidazole (Hmim) ligands has been directly grown on the surface of the pyramid-like NiSb through a convenient cathodic electrodeposition strategy and evaluated as the catalyst for water splitting catalysis. Tailoring catalytically active sites through porous well-arranging architecture and the coupled interface offers a catalyst with exquisite performance that displays ultra-low Tafel constant of 33 and 42 mV dec-1 toward the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, sequentially, and also enhanced durability at high current densities over 150 h in a 1 M KOH medium. The success of the synthesized NiCo-MOF@NiSb@GB electrode is explained by the intimate contact between the NiCo-MOF and NiSb with well-tailored phase interfaces, the positive coupling effect between Ni and Co metal centers in the MOF, and the porous structure with abundant active sites toward electrocatalysis. Importantly, the present work provides a new technical reference for the electrochemical synthesis of heterostructural MOFs as a promising candidate for energy-related applications.

Prediction of Genes Involved in Lung Cancer with a Systems Biology Approach Based on Comprehensive Gene Information.

Over the past few years, hundreds of genes have been reported in relation to lung cancer. Systems biology studies can help validate this association and find the most valid genes to use in the diagnosis and treatment. We reviewed the candidate genes for lung cancer in 120 published articles from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 2020. We obtained 134 up- and 36 downregulated genes for lung cancer in this article. The genes extracted from the articles were imported to Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting genes/proteins (STRING) to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI) Network and pathway enrichment. GO ontology and Reactome databases were used for describing the genes, average length of survival, and constructing networks. Then, the ClusterONE plugin of Cytoscape software was used to analyze and cluster networks. Hubs and bottleneck nodes were defined based on their degree and betweenness. Common genes between the ClusterONE plugin and network analysis consisted of seven genes (BRCA1-TP53-CASP3-PLK1-VEGFA-MDM2-CCNB1 and PLK1), and two genes (PLK1 and TYMS) were selected as survival factors. Our drug-gene network showed that CASP3, BRCA1, TP53, VEGFA, and MDM2 are common genes that are involved in this network. Also, among the drugs recognized in the drug-gene network, five drugs such as paclitaxel, oxaliplatin, carboplatin, irinotecan, and cisplatin were examined in different studies. It seems that these seven genes, with further studies and confirmatory tests, could be potential markers for lung cancer, especially PLK1 that has a significant effect on the survival of patients. We provide the novel genes into the pathogenesis of lung cancer, and we introduced new potential biomarkers for this malignancy.

Engineering of Cytolethal Distending Toxin B by Its Reducing Immunogenicity and Maintaining Stability as a New Drug Candidate for Tumor Therapy; an In Silico Study.

The cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), Haemophilus ducreyi, is one of the bacterial toxins that have recently been considered for targeted therapies, especially in cancer therapies. CDT is an A-B2 exotoxin. Its catalytic subunit (CdtB) is capable of inducing DNA double strand breaks, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in host eukaryotic cells. The sequence alignment indicates that the CdtB is structurally homologyr to phosphatases and deoxyribonucleases I (DNase I). Recently, it has been found that CdtB toxicity is mainly related to its nuclease activity. The immunogenicity of CDT can reduce its effectiveness in targeted therapies. However, the toxin can be very useful if its immunogenicity is significantly reduced. Detecting hotspot ectopic residues by computational servers and then mutating them to eliminate B-cell epitopes is a promising approach to reduce the immunogenicity of foreign protein-based therapeutics. By the mentioned method, in this study, we try to reduce the immunogenicity of the CdtB- protein sequence. This study initially screened residue of the CdtB is B-cell epitopes both linearly and conformationally. By overlapping the B-cell epitopes with the excluded conserve residues, and active and enzymatic sites, four residues were allowed to be mutated. There were two mutein options that show reduced antigenicity probability. Option one was N19F, G74I, and S161F with a VaxiJen score of 0.45 and the immune epitope database (IEDB) score of 1.80, and option two was N19F, G74I, and S161W with a VaxiJen score of 0.45 and IEDB score of 1.88. The 3D structure of the proposed sequences was evaluated and refined. The structural stability of native and mutant proteins was accessed through molecular dynamic simulation. The results showed that the mutations in the mutants caused no considerable changes in their structural stability. However, mutant 1 reveals more thermodynamic stability during the simulation. The applied approaches in this study can be used as rough guidelines for finding hot spot immunogen regions in the therapeutic proteins. Our results provide a new version of CdtB that, due to reduced immunogenicity and increased stability, can be used in toxin-based drugs such as immunotoxins.