LINC01420 Serves as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker and Promotes Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion by Suppressing miR-149-5p in Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer (GCa) is the most common human health-threatening malignancy, and its high incidence and poor prognosis. Previous studies have shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are aberrantly expressed in a variety of tumors and are involved in tumor progression. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of LINC01420 in GCa cell proliferation migration and invasion, and search for new prognostic biomarkers for GCa. The expression levels of LINC01420 and miR-149-5p in GCa cells were analyzed with reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Kaplan Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were used to analyze the prognostic value. Luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the interaction between LINC01420 and miR-149-5p. The effects of LINC01420/miR-149-5p axis on GCa cell proliferation, migration and invasion were assessed by CCK-8 and Transwell assays. LINC01420 expression levels were significantly increased in tissues and cell lines of GCa. Kaplan Meier curve results showed that overexpression of LINC01420 predicted poor prognosis. Silencing LINC01420 could inhibit the proliferation migration and invasion of GCa cells. The luciferase reporter assay results indicated that miR-149-5p might be a target of LINC01420 and mediate the effects of LINC01420 on GCa cell proliferation and migration and invasion. In conclusion, this study demonstrates an important regulatory role of the LINC01420/miR-149-5p axis in GCa progression and it provides a novel and significant biomarker for GCa treatment and prognosis.

Downward transport of naturally-aged light microplastics in natural loamy sand and the implication to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes.

Current understanding on the fate and behavior of microplastics (MPs) in complex soil media remains inadequate. We characterized the aging and hetero-aggregation of a MP sampled in farmland soil, and explored its vertical downward transport in natural loamy sand. The MP was identified with FTIR spectrum as polypropylene, a plastic lighter than water. FTIR spectrum combined with SEM imaging confirmed the MP was highly aged, generating colloidal plastic fibers and carbonyl groups. SEM imaging coupled with EDX analysis suggested hetero-aggregation of the MP with soil minerals. Soil leaching tests performed with the clean MP (without soil minerals) (CMP), the raw MP (RMP) (with soil minerals), and the RMP with humic acid (HA) (RMP + HA) demonstrated that the mobility was insignificant for the CMP, moderate for the RMP and highest for the RMP + HA, resulting in a maximal downward traveling distance of 0 cm, 3-4 cm, and 9-10 cm, respectively. Correlation between the maximal traveling distance and zeta potential of the CMP, RMP, and RMP + HA confirmed surface charge as a dominant control on the MP mobility; while the increasing density of the MP, due to hetero-aggregation with soil minerals, was identified as a driving mechanism for its downward transport, despite its intrinsic density lower than water. Occurrence of only the lower-sized rod-shaped plastic fibers at the maximal traveling distance suggested the natural aging, a process leading to plastic vibration and fragmentation, was conducive to plastic translocation. The three explored classes of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) (tetracycline, beta-lactam and sulfonamide) were all detected in the plastic surface, suggesting the MP may function as a potential pathway for the dissemination of ARGs to the deeper soil layer. These findings are important to understand the concentration distribution of both the MPs and ARGs in agriculture impacted soils, a natural reservoir of both emerging contaminants.

Sialic Acid and Iron Content in Breastmilk of Chinese Lactating Women.

OBJECTIVE: To study sialic acid and iron content in breastmilk in Chinese women during different lactation stages. METHODS: Sialic acid and iron content of colostrum, transitional milk, mature milk, and involutional milk were determined using a neuraminidase assay kit and the ferrozine method, respectively in 88 lactating women (58 Term, 30 Preterm). RESULTS: The mean (SD) sialic acid levels of colostrum, transitional milk, mature milk, and involutional milk were 2201.4 (676.6) mg/L, 1445.9 (423.4) mg/L, 395.3 (96.0) mg/L and 273.0 (76.9) mg/L, respectively. The median iron content were 0.05 mg/L, 0.06 mg/L, 0.25 mg/L and 0.35 mg/L, respectively, in successive stages of lactation. Sialic acid and iron were significantly higher in breast milk of preterm mothers compared to term mothers. CONCLUSION: Sialic acid and iron content in breast milk vary greatly throughout the lactation stages, which probably reflects the infants' needs for growth and development at different stages.