The therapeutic effect of phellopterin on colitis-associated cancer and its effects on TLR4/NF-κB pathway and macrophage M2 polarization.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect and mechanism of phellopterin on colitis-associated cancer (CAC). For this purpose, CAC mouse model was established by AOM/DSS method, and the therapeutic effects of phellopterin in different doses were compared. The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1ß, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in peripheral blood were detected by ELISA. The changes in T lymphocyte subsets and the expressions of CD163, CD206, Arg-1, and Ym-1 in colonic macrophages were detected. The expression of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in the colon was tested by Western blot. Results showed that as against the Model group, the body weight and survival rate of mice treated with phellopterin were increased, the disease activity index, hematochezia rate, and tumor formation rate were decreased, the colon length was increased, and the number of tumors and spleen index were decreased (P<0.05). As against the Model group, the proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ in the peripheral blood of phellopterin intervention mice increased, the content of IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α decreased, and the content of IL-10 increased. The expression of CD163, CD206, Arg-1, and Ym-1 in colonic macrophages was decreased. The protein expressions of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in colon tissue were decreased (P<0.05). The effect of phellopterin intervention on CAC was dose-dependent. In conclusion, phellopterin can improve the symptoms and inflammatory response of CAC and inhibit the occurrence of colon cancer (CC) by inhibiting M2 polarization of macrophages and activation of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

SNHG14 facilitates cell proliferation in colorectal cancer through targeting KRAS via Hippo-YAP signaling.

Accumulating evidence indicates the significant role of lncRNAs in multiple biological processes and cancer progression. However, most lncRNAs in CRC remain to be excavated. In this study, we investigated SNHG14 in CRC. SNHG14 which was generally under-expressed in normal colon specimens revealed by UCSC was uncovered as markedly highly expressed in CRC cell lines. Besides, SNHG14 was a contributor to CRC cell proliferation. Additionally, we demonstrated that SNHG14 facilitated CRC cell proliferation in a KRAS-dependent manner. Moreover, the mechanistic investigations indicated that SNHG14 interacted with YAP and therefore inactivated the Hippo pathway, so as to enhance YAP-targeted KRAS expression in CRC. Furthermore, SNHG14 was explained as transcriptionally activated by FOS, a previously identified common effector molecule of KRAS and YAP. All in all, our findings elucidated a feedback loop of SNHG14/YAP/KRAS/FOS in facilitating CRC tumorigenesis, which may help develop novel effective targets for CRC patients.

Fluorescent immunochromatography of vancomycin in plasma: A rapid and sensitive quantitative analysis.

Vancomycin (VAN) has a narrow therapeutic window and variable pharmacokinetic properties, which require timely monitoring of plasma concentration to adjust the dosage for better effectiveness. A sensitive and quantitative immunochromatographic method was developed to detect VAN in plasma. The linear response range of the method to detect plasma VAN was 1.25-50 µg/mL. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients were 4.68% and 8.81%, respectively, while the recovery was 89.10%-98.32%. The clinical comparative experiment results demonstrated a good correlation (r > 0.90) between the fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test and the mass spectrum. In this study, a simple, rapid, and high-sensitivity immunochromatographic method was established for detecting VAN, which helped establish the basis for further application of monitoring plasma concentration.

Circ_0022340 promotes colorectal cancer progression via HNRNPC/EBF1/SYT7 or miR-382-5p/ELK1 axis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are characterized as a class of new noncoding RNAs and function in tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). In our study, the molecule mechanism of circ_0022340 in CRC was investigated. For this aim, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to test gene expression in CRC cells. Cell function assays including 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation and transwell investigated the proliferation and migration capacity in CRC cells. Luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP)assays determined the interaction between circRNA, miRNA and mRNA. Western blot was used to test protein expression. An immunohistochemistry assay was used to assess the tumor growth in vivo. Results showed that Circ_0022340 was highly expressed in CRC cells. Circ_0022340 was formed from exon 5 to 6 of the synaptotagmin 7 (SYT7). Silencing of circ_0022340 suppressed CRC cell proliferation and migration. Functionally, circ_0022340 recruited heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (HNRNPC) to stabilize EBF1 mRNA and thereby activated SYT7. Moreover, circ_0022340 targeted miR-382-5p to up-regulate ETS transcription factor ELK1 (ELK1). It is concluded that Circ_0022340 promoted colorectal cancer progression via recruiting HNRNPC to stabilize EBF1 mRNA and thereby activated SYT7 or miR-382-5p/ELK1 axis, which might provide a novel target for CRC treatment.

MYC-activated CERS6-AS1 sponges miR-6838-5p and regulates the expression of RUBCNL in colorectal cancer.

As a leading gastrointestinal malignancy, colorectal cancer (CRC) is a serious threat to people's health. A great amount of researches have elaborated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key role in all kinds of tumors. In the current study, we mainly probed into the mechanisms of CERS6 antisense RNA 1 (CERS6-AS1) underlying CRC. For this purpose, the CERS6-AS1 expression level in CRC cells was disclosed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In vitro and in vivo assays have validated the functional role of CERS6-AS1 in CRC. Mechanism assays were carried out to confirm the potential mechanism of CERS6-AS1 in CRC. Results showed that through experiments, we identified that the CERS6-AS1 expression level was up-regulated in CRC and the depletion of CERS6-AS1 hindered cell proliferative and migratory abilities and stimulated cell apoptotic levels in CRC. In addition, silencing of CERS6-AS1 repressed tumor growth. Moreover, CERS6-AS1 activated by MYC could sequestermiR-6838-5p, and then regulate rubicon-like autophagy enhancer (RUBCNL) expression level to influence the CRC cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis. In conclusion, The study focused on the MYC/CERS6-AS1/miR-6838-5p/RUBCNL axis was helpful for the potential diagnosis and standardized treatment of CRC.

The emerging regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs implicated in cancer metabolism.

Compared to normal cells, cancer cells exhibit specific metabolic characteristics that facilitate the growth and metastasis of cancer. It is now widely appreciated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert extensive regulatory effects on a spectrum of biological processes through diverse mechanisms. In this review, we focus on the rapidly advancing field of lncRNAs and summarize the relationship between the dysregulation of lncRNAs and cancer metabolism, with a particular emphasis on the specific roles of lncRNAs in glycolysis, mitochondrial function, glutamine, and lipid metabolism. These investigations reveal that lncRNAs are a key factor in the complexity of malignant cancer metabolism. Only through understanding the relevance between lncRNAs and cancer metabolic reprogramming can we open a new chapter in the history of carcinogenesis, one that promises to alter the methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment.

SP1-induced circ_0017552 modulates colon cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis via up-regulation of NET1.

Colon cancer (CC) is a common malignancy over the world and its morbidity and mortality significantly went up in China in recent years. Molecular functions in cancers have gradually been the pivot subject in cancer research. Neuroepithelial cell transforming 1 (NET1) was reported to contribute to prostate cancer and gastric cancer. Our study figured out that NET1 was overexpressed in CC cells. Then, loss-of-function assays revealed that NET1 facilitated CC cell proliferation and repressed CC cell apoptosis. Next, miR-338-3p was confirmed to target NET1. After that, we verified that circ_0017552 which originates from NET1 could positively modulate NET1 expression. Besides, circ_0017552 was a sponge of miR-338-3p. Rescue assays' results demonstrated that circ_0017552 could regulate CC cell proliferation and apoptosis through up-regulation of NET1. A transcription factor named Sp1 (SP1) was found to be present in circ_0017552. SP1 induced transcription of circ_0017552 to facilitate CC cell proliferation and inhibit CC cell apoptosis. In a word, SP1-induced circ_0017552 regulated CC cell proliferation and apoptosis through miR-338-3p/NET1 axis.

Triacanthine enhances the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil by regulating RRM2.

BACKGROUND: According to the literatures, triacanthine is isolated from the leaves of Gleditsia triacanthos L. and acts as an anti-hypertensive agent, also cardiotonic, antispasmodic and a respiratory analeptic. The 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is widely used to treat the patients of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the resistance to 5-FU treatment restricts the therapeutic efficacy of CRC patients. PURPOSE: This study aims to explore a novel therapeutics regimen overcoming CRC resistance to 5-FU. METHODS: The cell proliferation of CRC cells was determined by SRB and colony formation assay. Transwell and wound-healing assay were applied to explore the potential metastatic abilities of CRC cells. qRT-PCR and Western blot were performed to evaluate the level of indicated mRNAs and proteins respectively. Xenograft assay was used to explore the anti-CRC effect of triacanthine. RESULTS: Triacanthine statistically restrained CRC proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Triacanthine induced cell cycle G1/G0 phase arrest in CRC cells. Meanwhile, triacanthine also inhibited the migrative and invasive abilities of CRC cells. A Venn diagram was generated showing that O-6-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase (MGMT) might be a molecular target of triacanthine in treating CRC. Furthermore, triacanthine plus 5-FU significantly suppressed the cell proliferation of CRC cells compared with single agent treatment alone, and highly synergistic anti-cancer effects were scored when 5-FU was combined with triacanthine in CRC cells. In addition, triacanthine sensitized the anti-cancer activity of 5-FU via regulating Ribonucleotide Reductase Regulatory Subunit M2 (RRM2). MGMT or RRM2 might be novel biomarkers for evaluating the therapeutical efficiency of 5-FU in CRC patients. CONCLUSION: We firstly demonstrated triacanthine suppressed cell proliferation and metastasis abilities and found the novel molecular targets of triacanthine in CRC cells. This is the first study to evaluate the anti-cancer efficiency of triacanthine plus 5-FU. Our study has revealed triacanthine as a pertinent sensitizer to 5-FU, and provided novel strategies for predicting outcomes and reversing resistance of 5-FU therapy.

HZ-A-018, a novel inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase, exerts anti-cancer activity and sensitizes 5-FU in gastric cancer cells.

Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of gastric cancer, the development of targeted drugs is somehow limited, but is urgently needed. Since the expression of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) was significantly associated with the prognosis of gastric cancer patients, we aimed to determine the anti-cancer activity of HZ-A-018, which was a novel derivative of ACP-196, in gastric cancer cells. As a result, HZ-A-018 presented a stronger anti-proliferation activity than ACP-196 via the substantial suppression of AKT/S6 pathway. In addition, HZ-A-018, but not ACP-196, exerted the synergistic effects in combined treatment with 5-FU both in vitro and in vivo, without exacerbating the adverse effects of 5-FU. Mechanismly, the combination of HZ-A-018 and 5-FU remarkably reduced the expression of RRM2, which played an essential role in proliferation and drug sensitivity in gastric cancer cells. In summary, our work demonstrated the stronger anti-cancer activity of HZ-A-018 than ACP-196 in gastric cancer cells, and revealed synergistic effects of HZ-A-018 and 5-FU combination probably through the inhibition of RRM2 via AKT/S6 pathway, thereby providing a promising therapeutic strategy in gastric cancer.

The Impact of Pro-environmental Awareness Components on Green Consumption Behavior: The Moderation Effect of Consumer Perceived Cost, Policy Incentives, and Face Culture.

Based on the survey data of 839 consumers in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, this article explores the formation mechanism and internal driving force of Chinese consumers' green consumption, and clarifies the effect of consumers' pro-environmental awareness components on green consumption and the moderating effect of perceived cost, policy incentives, and face culture. The results of the study show that pro-environmental awareness is the basis for green consumption. However, groups with pro-environmental awareness do not choose green consumption for sure. The transformation from awareness to behavior is also affected by many factors. Consumers' perceived cost is an important obstacle to green consumption, while the face culture in Chinese society has a certain role in promoting green consumption. In this study, government policy incentives have no significant direct impact and moderating effect on consumers' green consumption.

Pharmacokinetics and Bioequivalence of 2 Oral Formulations of Domperidone After Single-Dose Administration in Healthy Chinese Subjects.

To evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties and bioequivalence of 2 oral formulations of domperidone in healthy Chinese subjects, a randomized, open-label, 2-way crossover study was conducted under fasting and fed states. All 96 healthy subjects were randomized to receive a single oral dose of a 10-mg generic domperidone tablet (test) or branded domperidone tablet (reference). Blood samples were collected at specified time intervals and analyzed for domperidone using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In the fasting test, 90% CIs of geometric mean ratios were 86.7% to 105.8% for maximum concentration, 96.7% to 106.1% for area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from time 0 to the time of the last measurable plasma concentration, and 97.1% to 106.1% for AUC from time 0 extrapolated to infinity. In the fed test, the 90% CIs were 90.8% to 121.1%, 99.7% to 109.4%, and 99.4% to 109.1%, respectively. All 90% CIs were within the bioequivalence range of 80% to 125%, indicating that the 2 formulations were bioequivalent. In addition, the values of time to maximum concentration, terminal-phase elimination half-life, and AUC were significantly higher in the fed group than in the fasting group, suggesting that a high-fat meal slowed down the absorption and elimination of domperidone and significantly increased domperidone exposure.

ALDH1A3-Linc00284 Axis Mediates the Invasion of Colorectal Cancer by Targeting TGFß Signaling via Sponging miR-361-5p.

ALDH1A3 and Linc00284 involve in colorectal cancer (CRC) development; however, the regulatory mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we collected clinicopathological characteristics and tissue samples from 73 CRC patients to analyze the expression of ALDH1A3, Linc00284, TGFß signaling and miR-361-5p using qPCR, Western blotting, and ELISA. Multiple CRC cell lines were evaluated in this study, and the highest level of ALDH1A3 was observed in SW480 cells. To investigate the regulatory mechanism, RIP and luciferase assays were used to validate the interaction between Linc00284, miR-361-5p, and TGFß. Proliferation, viability, migration, and invasion assays were performed to profile the effects of the ALDH1A3-Linc00284 axis in CRC cell functions, which was upregulated in CRC tissues. Knockdown ALDH1A3 or Linc00284 significantly reduced TGFß expression and suppressed the EMT process, while overexpression had opposite effects. miR-361-5p targeted TGFß directly, which negatively correlated with ALDH1A3-Linc00284 expression and CRC progression. Mechanistically, upregulation of ALDH1A3-Linc00284 promotes colorectal cancer invasion and migration by regulating miR-361-5p/TGFß signaling pathway. Dysregulation of the ALDH1A3-Linc00284-miR-361-5p-TGFß axis causes CRC invasion, which might provide a new insight into the treatment of CRC.

Proposed revision of the 8th edition AJCC clinical staging system for esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with definitive chemo-IMRT based on CT imaging.

PURPOSE: To validate and propose revision of the 8th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) clinical staging system for esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) patients treated with definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy (Chemo-IMRT) based on computed tomography (CT) imaging. METHODS: The clinical data of patients with ESCC treated with Chemo-IMRT were collected and retrospectively reviewed. All CT images were independently reevaluated and restaged according to the 8th edition AJCC staging system. The overall survival (OS) rates were analyzed statistically. ROC curves of the various parameters of the primary tumor and metastatic lymph nodes were generated in order to identify the cutoff values correlated to patient survival using the area under curve. RESULTS: The gross tumor volume of the primary tumor (GTV-prT) and the clinical N stage (cN) were independent factors that influenced OS. The 5-year OS rate of patients with GTV-prT ≤28 cm3, GTV-prT > 28 and ≤ 56 cm3, and GTV-prT > 56 cm3 were 54.6, 31.1 and 18.6%, respectively. The 5-year OS rate of patients with cN0, cN1 SLNM (-), cN2 SLNM (-), cN3 SLNM (-) and SLNM (+) were 62.8 (P < 0.001), 34.0 (P = 0.16), 20.0 (P = 0.785), 0 (P < 0.001) and 26.9%, respectively. After restaging the SLNM as regional MLNs, the 5-year OS rates of the patients with cN0, 1, 2 and 3 were 62.8, 36.3, 23.7 and 7.8%, respectively. Various GTV-prT were combined with the cN to establish a new clinical TNM staging system: I, GTV-prT1 and cN0; II, GTV-prT2 or 3 and cN0, GTV-prT1 and cN1; III, GTV-prT1 and cN2, GTV-prT2 and cN1,2; Iva, GTV-prT3 and cN1,2; IVb, GTV-prTany and cN3; IVc, TanyNanyM1. Subsequently, the OS differed significantly between the adjacent GTV-prT cN categories, except those of stage I vs. II. CONCLUSION: The SLNM should be dealt with as a regional rather than a distant disease in patients with ESCC when treated with CRT. The proposed nonsurgical staging system based on the GTV-prT and N appears to be a simple and accurate prognosis predictor for patients with ESCC who have undergone definitive Chemo-IMRT.

Primary tumor regression patterns in esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy and implications for surveillance schemes.

Purpose: The primary tumor regression patterns of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) were investigated to determine an optimal surveillance scheme. Method: The clinical data and radiology images of patients before CRT, at completion of CRT and every 1-3 months for the subsequent 12 months or until disease progression were retrospectively reviewed to define the patterns of primary tumor regression after CRT. Survival rates were analyzed statistically in order to determine an optimal surveillance scheme. Results: A total of 82 patients were enrolled in the present study for analysis. At the first surveillance visit date at the end of CRT, a total of 21 patients achieved complete response (early-CR), 29 patients reached incomplete response (IR), 25 patients maintained stable disease (SD) and 7 patients encountered progression of disease (PD). During subsequent surveillance, a total of 14 IR patients regressed continuously to CR (later-CR), 15 patients maintained IR (early-IR) and 9 SD patients gradually regressed to IR (later-IR). At full tumor regression (FTR), a total of 21, 14, 15, 9, 16 and 7 patients were defined as early-CR, later-CR, early-IR, later-IR, SD and PD, respectively. The median FTR time for later-CR and later-IR was 7.5 and 7 weeks, respectively. The 3-year overall survival rate of the early-CR group was 85.7% (P<0.001), which was higher compared with the later-CR (16.7%), early-IR (20%), later-IR (11.1%), SD (6.3%) and PD (0%) groups. Conclusion: The early-CR following CRT is a robust prognostic predictor in patients with ESCC. To optimize the determination of tumor regression, ≥7 weeks after CRT is an optimal initial surveillance visit date. The surveillance of non-CR patients should concentrate on symptoms, nutrition and psychosocial support, rather than screening for recurrence of the disease.

Systematic study of beta-asarone-rich volatile oil from Acori graminei rhizoma by off-line supercritical CO2 extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Supercritical CO2 extraction (SCE) technology was used to extract a volatile oil, rich in beta-asarone, from Acori graminei rhizoma (AGR). The effect of different extraction and fractionation parameters on oil yield and selectivity towards beta-asarone was investigated by SCE using commercial AGR samples. The optimal conditions (P(e)/T(e) = 10 MPa/45 degrees C; P(f1)/T(f1) = 8 MPa/-10 degrees C; P(f2)/T(f2 )= 2 MPa/10 degrees C) gave a good oil yield and selectivity for beta-asarone. The extracts were also analyzed by GC-MS and compared with the volatile oil obtained by hydrodistillation, in which 39 main constituents including beta-asarone were found. Different cultivated AGR samples obtained from three areas of China were evaluated in terms of their volatile oil compositions obtained by extraction of commercial AGR samples under optimal conditions; the extract of the Guangdong (GD) sample showed a high beta-asarone content.

Recognition of Consumers' Characteristics of Purchasing Farm Produce with Safety Certificates and Their Influencing Factors.

In order to alleviate the situation that bad money drives out good in the produce market within the context of incomplete information, as well as bridge the gap between demand and product surplus, establishing and improving the safety certification system for farm produce is an urgent need. This paper discusses factors that affect consumers' purchase of pork with safety certificates in the setting of incomplete information. Data from 844 consumers in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, along with a structural equation model, are adopted to study consumers' purchase intention of certified safe pork form. According to our studies, major factors refer to degree of understanding, degree of concern, recognition ability, government publicity, pork's origin information, consumers' educational levels, income levels, and consumers' evaluation of government supervision. Accordingly, suggestions are provided as follows. Above all, enhancing education and training of food safety is conducive to lead consumers' behaviors in a correct way. Next, news media and social public opinions can play a stronger role in guidance and supervision. Thirdly, an upgraded legal system should be accompanied by better policy implementation. Finally, strengthening the origin certification system and promoting a sense of brand are of significance.

Research on the Irrational Behavior of Consumers' Safe Consumption and Its Influencing Factors.

Frequent food safety incidents in recent years have greatly reduced consumers' trust, and consumers' demand for safe food has been on the rise. However, there is an inconsistency between the consumers' willingness and actual purchasing behaviors. Some consumers who have a willingness to purchase safe food ultimately do not produce actual purchasing behaviors, resulting in an "irrational behavior" in the safe food consumer market. In order to better study this phenomenon and identify its inherent logic, we chose to use pork (a typical representative of safety-certified agricultural products) as the object, based on a survey on 844 consumers in the Jiangsu Province and Anhui Province analyzed in July 2017 by RPL (Random Parameters Logit) and binary Logit regression methods from two aspects, i.e. consumer preference for different attributes of safety-certified products and factors affecting safe consumption. The research results show that consumers have a significant preference for pork that has additional attributes such as green food certification, organic food certification, origin information and "No Additives and Veterinary Drug Residue Labeling"; labeling such information on the pork can effectively improve consumers' trust. Consumers' inconsistency of purchase intention with purchasing behaviors of safety-certified pork is affected by many factors, such as gender, age, annual household income, the degree of trust in agricultural product quality and a safety certification mark, understanding of safety-certified pork, and the degree of concern on pork quality and safety issues. These factors have all contributed, to varying degrees, to the rising of "irrational behavior" of consumers' safe consumption, lead to an irrational state of consumption that consumers with a safely certified pork purchase will not necessarily buy a safety-certified pork. Based on the results of two empirical analyses, it can be concluded that pricing and age are the two main influencing factors that lead to the "irrational behavior" of consumers' safe consumption.

Adjuvant chemotherapy does not benefit patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). METHODS: The clinical data of patients with ESCC treated with chemoradiotherapy with or without AC were collected and retrospectively reviewed. The overall survival (OS), locoregional failure-free survival (LFFS) and distant failure-free survival (DFFS) rates were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: A total of 187 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 98 of whom were treated with CRT-alone, while 89 were treated with CRT-AC. Patient characteristics did not significantly differ between the CRT-alone and CRT-AC groups, with the exception of sex and the number of cycles of concurrent chemotherapy. Following CRT, 50 patients achieved complete response (CR), 67 had partial response (PR), 63 patients maintained stable disease (SD) and 7 developed progression of disease (PD). The OS, LFFS and DFFS at 1, 2 and 5 years for the entire cohort were 67.5, 41.4 and 27.2%; 68.7, 57.9 and 52.4%; and 78.5, 68.9 and 63.9%, respectively. The clinical N-stage, M-stage, and short-term response to CRT were identified as significant factors that influenced patient prognosis. No significant differences in OS, LFFS or DFFS were observed between the CRT-alone and CRT-AC groups for the entire cohort and for clinical N-stage, clinical M-stage and short-term response subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term response to CRT and the tumor clinical stage were significant prognosis factors for patients with ESCC treated with CRT. With current chemotherapy regimens, AC did not improve survival for patients with ESCC treated with CRT. The retrospective nature of the current study serves as a limitation; thus, further clinical trials are required to evaluate the efficacy of AC in patients with ESCC treated with CRT.

Long Noncoding RNA FAM201A Mediates the Radiosensitivity of Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer by Regulating ATM and mTOR Expression via miR-101.

Background: The aim of the present study was to identify the potential long non-coding (lnc.)-RNA and its associated molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of the radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) in order to assess whether it could be a biomarker for the prediction of the response to radiotherapy and prognosis in patients with ESCC. Methods: Microarrays and bioinformatics analysis were utilized to screen the potential lncRNAs associated with radiosensitivity in radiosensitive (n = 3) and radioresistant (n = 3) ESCC tumor tissues. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed in 35 ESCC tumor tissues (20 radiosensitive and 15 radioresistant tissues, respectively) to validate the lncRNA that contributed the most to the radiosensitivity of ESCC (named the candidate lncRNA). MTT, flow cytometry, and western blot assays were conducted to assess the effect of the candidate lncRNA on radiosensitivity in vitro in ECA109/ECA109R ESCC cells. A mouse xenograft model was established to confirm the function of the candidate lncRNA in the radiosensitivity of ESCC in vivo. The putative downstream target genes regulated by the candidate lncRNA were predicted using Starbase 2.0 software and the TargetScan database. The interactions between the candidate lncRNA and the putative downstream target genes were examined by Luciferase reporter assay, and were confirmed by PCR. Results: A total of 113 aberrantly expressed lncRNAs were identified by microarray analysis, of which family with sequence similarity 201-member A (FAM201A) was identified as the lncRNA that contributed the most to the radiosensitivity of ESCC. FAM201A was upregulated in radioresistant ESCC tumor tissues and had a poorer short-term response to radiotherapy resulting in inferior overall survival. FAM201A knockdown enhanced the radiosensitivity of ECA109/ECA109R cells by upregulating ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) expression via the negative regulation of miR-101 expression. The mouse xenograft model demonstrated that FAM201A knockdown improved the radiosensitivity of ESCC. Conclusion: The lncRNA FAM201A, which mediated the radiosensitivity of ESCC by regulating ATM and mTOR expression via miR-101 in the present study, may be a potential biomarker for predicting radiosensitivity and patient prognosis, and may be a therapeutic target for enhancing cancer radiosensitivity in ESCC.

Automated tracking and analysis of behavior in restrained insects.

BACKGROUND: Insect behavior is often monitored by human observers and measured in the form of binary responses. This procedure is time costly and does not allow a fine graded measurement of behavioral performance in individual animals. To overcome this limitation, we have developed a computer vision system which allows the automated tracking of body parts of restrained insects. NEW METHOD: Our system crops a continuous video into separate shots with a static background. It then segments out the insect's head and preprocesses the detected moving objects to exclude detection errors. A Bayesian-based algorithm is proposed to identify the trajectory of each body part. RESULTS: We demonstrate the application of this novel tracking algorithm by monitoring movements of the mouthparts and antennae of honey bees and ants, and demonstrate its suitability for analyzing the behavioral performance of individual bees using a common associative learning paradigm. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: Our tracking system differs from existing systems in that it does not require each video to be labeled manually and is capable of tracking insects' body parts even when working with low frame-rate videos. Our system can be generalized for other insect tracking applications. CONCLUSIONS: Our system paves the ground for fully automated monitoring of the behavior of restrained insects and accounts for individual variations in graded behavior.