[Research progress on induced hepatic stellate cell ferroptosis in prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis].

Liver fibrosis is a key pathological stage in the progression of chronic liver disease. If the disease is mistreated, it can further deteriorate into liver failure, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients and brings heavy medical costs. Hepatic stellate cell(HSC) activation triggers extracellular matrix(ECM) deposition, which plays an important driving role in liver fibrosis, and ferroptosis is an effective strategy to clear or reverse the activation of HSCs into a deactivated phenotype. Therefore, inhibiting the activation and proliferation of HSCs by regulating ferroptosis is the key to the treatment of this disease, so as to derive the prospect of inducing ferroptosis of HSCs(including RNA-binding proteins, non-coding RNA, chemicals, and active components of traditional Chinese medicine) to intervene in liver fibrosis. On this basis, this paper started from the activation of HSCs to induce ECM deposition and focused on summarizing the mechanism of inducing HSC ferroptosis in delaying the progression of liver fibrosis, so as to continuously enrich the clinical practice of liver fibrosis and provide a reference for subsequent basic research.

Correction: Supramolecular self-assembly of amantadine hydrochloride with ferulic acid via dual optimization strategy establishes a precedent of synergistic antiviral drug-phenolic acid nutraceutical cocrystal.

Correction for 'Supramolecular self-assembly of amantadine hydrochloride with ferulic acid via dual optimization strategy establishes a precedent of synergistic antiviral drug-phenolic acid nutraceutical cocrystal' by Ling-Yang Wang et al., Analyst, 2021, 146, 3988-3999, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1AN00478F.

Comparative transcriptomics and co-expression networks reveal cultivar-specific molecular signatures associated with reproductive-stage cold stress in rice.

KEY MESSAGE: The resistance of Huaidao5 results from the high constitutive expression of tolerance genes, while that of Huaidao9 is due to the cold-induced resistance in flag leaves and panicles. The regulation mechanism of rice seedlings' cold tolerance is relatively clear, and knowledge of its underlying mechanisms at the reproductive stage is limited. We performed differential expression and co-expression network analyses to transcriptomes from panicle and flag leaf tissues of a cold-tolerant cultivar (Huaidao5), and a sensitive cultivar (Huaidao9), under reproductive-stage cold stress. The results revealed that the expression levels of genes in stress-related pathways such as MAPK signaling pathway, diterpenoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, plant-pathogen interaction and plant hormone signal transduction were constitutively highly expressed in Huaidao5, especially in panicles. Moreover, the Hudaidao5's panicle sample-specific (under cold) module contained some genes related to rice yield, such as GW5L, GGC2, SG1 and CTPS1. However, the resistance of Huaidao9 was derived from the induced resistance to cold in flag leaves and panicles. In the flag leaves, the responses included a series of stress response and signal transduction, while in the panicles nitrogen metabolism was severely affected, especially 66 endosperm-specific genes. Through integrating differential expression with co-expression networks, we predicted 161 candidate genes (79 cold-responsive genes common to both cultivars and 82 cold-tolerance genes associated with differences in cold tolerance between cultivars) potentially affecting cold response/tolerance, among which 85 (52.80%) were known to be cold-related genes. Moreover, 52 (65.82%) cold-responsive genes (e.g., TIFY11C, LSK1 and LPA) could be confirmed by previous transcriptome studies and 72 (87.80%) cold-tolerance genes (e.g., APX5, OsFbox17 and OsSTA109) were located within QTLs associated with cold tolerance. This study provides an efficient strategy for further discovery of mechanisms of cold tolerance in rice.

A Single-Centre, Retrospective Research Evaluation of the Effect of Extended Intervention Model Based on Case Management of Treatment Compliance and Cardiac Function on Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of case management-based extended intervention model on treatment compliance and cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS: This study retrospectively analysed the clinical data of 203 patients with chronic heart failure at Xingtai Third Hospital from January 2019 to January 2022. In accordance with different intervention programs, the patients were divided into a study group (SG, n = 102) and a reference group (RG, n = 101). The SG received the extended intervention model based on case management, and the RG adopted the conventional intervention model. Comparison was conducted on the treatment compliance, cardiac function, activity of daily living scale (ADL) scores and readmission rates in both groups. RESULTS: After intervention, the SG showed higher treatment compliance (p < 0.05), lower heart rate, higher left ventricular ejection fraction, ratio of transmitral peak rapid filling velocity to transmitral peak atrial filling velocity at mitral orifice and six-minute walk distance (p < 0.001) and significantly lower ADL score and readmission rates than the RG (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The extended intervention model based on case management positively influences the treatment compliance of patients with chronic heart failure and continuously improves patients' cardiac function, reduces the readmission rate, enhances daily living ability, comprehensively increases clinical efficacy and benefits patients for a long period.

Effect of river-lake connectivity on ecological stoichiometry of lake and carbon storage status in Eastern Plain, China.

C, N, and P in lake sediment are the basis of material and energy cycle, reflecting the economic development, ecological function, and environmental effect. Current research on the effect of lake eutrophication on carbon storage and the river-lake connectivity on nutrient diffusion is lack. This work investigated the accumulation, distribution, correlations, and stoichiometric ratios of C, N, and P of 82 lakes (≥ 10 km2) in Eastern China, analyzed the nutrient limitation, sediment carbon sink, and effect of river-lake connectivity, and discussed the relationships between eutrophication and sediment carbon storage. The average concentrations and ranges of total C, N, and P in lake sediments were (23.26 mg/g, 0.08-153.45 mg/g), (2.32 mg/g, 0.29-14.17 mg/g), and (0.86 mg/g, 0.23-2.64 mg/g), respectively. The ecological stoichiometry of C: N: P in lake sediments was 32: 3.2: 1. P can be easily accumulated in lakes connected from the Yangtze River, while C and N can be easily accumulated in disconnected lakes. The soil-water erosion in runoff is an important factor for P diffusion. The C/N and C/N/P weren't affected by the river-lake connectivity but depended on the plant type. The Eastern Plain Lake Region of China is C and N co-depletion, and P enrichment. The lake eutrophication leading to algal bloom is unfavorable to the goal of carbon storage and carbon neutrality. Outcome of this study will provide a significant reference and strategies for carbon sequestration research, eco-environmental protection, and watershed nutrient management.

Investigation on anxiety and depression of different populations in the area with low incidence of New Coronavirus pneumonia and analysis of related factors.

Objective: To explore the anxiety and depression status and related factors of different populations in the area with low incidence of New Coronavirus pneumonia. Methods: The anxiety and depression of 106 residents of different ages, different places of residence and different epidemic situations in Xingtai City, Hebei Province, China were assessed from February 18, 2020 to February 20, 2020. The psychological status of different groups was evaluated by self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the questionnaire data were analyzed retrospectively. The general data of all residents were collected, and the factors affecting the mental health status of different populations were studied by multiple linear regression with the scores of depression and anxiety as dependent variables. Result: The SAS and SDS scores of anxiety and depression were (51.79±12.11) and (57.01±11.40) respectively. The positive rates of anxiety and depression were 38.68% and 47.17%, respectively. The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that marital status, close attention to the daily epidemic progress, and having infected and sick relatives and friends were independent risk factors affecting residents' SAS score (P<0.05). Additionally, marital status, health self-assessment and close attention to the daily epidemic progress every day were independent risk factors affecting residents' SDS score (P<0.05). Conclusion: Residents in low-incidence areas are prone to anxiety and depression. Marital status, health self-assessment, paying attention to the progress of the epidemic every day and monitoring the disease progress in relatives and friends are independent risk factors contributing to the anxiety and depression of the residents. Corresponding protective measures should be taken to improve the local epidemic prevention and control level.

Quercetin inhibits the activity and function of dendritic cells through the TLR4/IRAK4/NF-κB signalling pathway.

Introduction: To investigate the inhibitory effect of quercetin (QUE) on dendritic cells (DCs) through the toll-like receptor 4/interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4/nuclear factor kappa-B (TLR4/IRAK4/NF-κB) signalling pathway. Material and methods: CCK-8 and apoptosis assays were performed to determine the optimal concentration and action time of QUE to inhibit DCs. Protein extracts from treated DCs were used for Western blotting experiments to determine the relative expression levels of TLR4, IRAK4, and NF-κB p65 proteins. Changes in the ratio of CD86 and CD11c positive cells on the DCs surface were detected using flow cytometry. The molecular docking technique was used to analyse the binding site and free energy of QUE and IRAK4. Results: CCK-8 and apoptosis assays suggested that QUE inhibited the activity and function of DCs in a time-dose-dependent manner. The results of Western blotting suggested that the relative expression levels of TLR4, IRAK4, and NF-κB p65 proteins were increased in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group compared with the normal control group, and the relative expression of the above proteins was decreased after treatment with QUE and IRAK4-IN-4. The results of flow cytometry suggested that LPS increased the expression of CD86 and CD11c on the surface of DCs, and QUE and IRAK4-IN-4 decreased the expression of CD86 and CD11c induced by LPS. Molecular docking results showed that the binding sites of QUE and IRAK4 were stable, with the minimum binding energies comparable to that of IRAK4-IN-4. Conclusions: Quercetin may inhibit the activity and function of DCs through the TLR4/IRAK4/NF-κB signalling pathway, and IRAK4 may be its target.

Role of foreign direct investment and fiscal decentralization on urban haze pollution in China.

Government management is the main tool to solve environmental pollution. Considering the unique fiscal decentralization institution in China, this paper investigates the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on urban haze pollution in China from the perspective of spatial econometrics. The Generalized Spatial Two Stage Least Squares (GS2SLS) method is employed to treat the spatial correlation of air pollution. Based on a panel dataset comprising 276 Chinese cities during 2004-2018, we find a positive effect of FDI on urban haze pollution. For one standard deviation increase in FDI, the average annual PM2.5 concentration increase by 1.5%, ceteris paribus. Evidence also suggests that this effect varies across regions with different levels of fiscal decentralization. Through the test of the moderating effect and the threshold effect, we found that the higher of the fiscal decentralization, the weaker of the impact of FDI on haze pollution. This study proposes a new solution for sustainable development: increasing the financial autonomy of local governments to restrain the attraction of non-cleaner investment.

The chloroplast genome of Rosa rugosa × Rosa sertata (Rosaceae): genome structure and comparative analysis.

Rosa rugosa × Rosa sertata, which belongs to the family Rosaceae, is one of the native oil-bearing roses in China. Most research has focused on its essential oil components and medicinal values. However, there have been few studies about its chloroplast genome. In this study, the whole chloroplast genome of R. rugosa × R. sertata was sequenced, analyzed, and compared to other genus Rosa species. The chloroplast genome of R. rugosa × R. sertata is a circular structure and 157,120 bp in length. The large single copy and small single copy is 86,173 bp and 18,743 bp in size, respectively, and the inverted repeats are 26,102 bp in size. The GC content of the whole genome is 37.96%, while those of regions of LSC, SSC, and IR are 35.20%, 31.18%, and 42.73%, respectively. There are 130 different genes annotated in this chloroplast genome, including 84 protein coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 1 pseudogene. Phylogenetic analysis of 19 species revealed that R. rugosa × R. sertata belong to the Sect. Cinnamomeae. Overall, this study, providing genomic resources of R. rugosa × R. sertata, will be beneficial for species identification and biological research.

Supramolecular self-assembly of amantadine hydrochloride with ferulic acid via dual optimization strategy establishes a precedent of synergistic antiviral drug-phenolic acid nutraceutical cocrystal.

To display the capability of the phenolic acid nutraceutical ferulic acid (FLA) in optimizing the in vitro/in vivo properties of the antiviral drug amantadine hydrochloride (AMH) and achieve synergistically enhanced antiviral effects, thereby gaining some new insights into pharmaceutical cocrystals of antiviral drugs with phenolic acid nutraceuticals, a cocrystallization strategy of dual optimization was created. Based on this strategy, the first drug-phenolic acid nutraceutical cocrystal of AMH with FLA, namely AMH-FLA-H2O, was successfully assembled and completely characterized by employing single-crystal X-ray diffraction and other analytical techniques. The cocrystal was revealed to be composed of AMH, FLA, and water molecules in the ratio of 3 : 1 : 1.5, and charge-assisted hydrogen bonds containing chloride ions crucially maintained the crystal lattice together with water molecules. The in vitro/in vivo properties of the cocrystal were systematically evaluated via both theoretical and experimental methods, and the results indicate that the dissolubility of AMH is down-regulated by two-thirds in the cocrystal, resulting in its potential for sustained pharmacokinetic release and the elimination of the adverse effects of AMH. More importantly, the enhanced antiviral effects of the current cocrystal were proven against four viral strains, and the pharmaceutical synergy between AMH and FLA was realized with a combination index (CI) of less than 1. Thus, the present work provides a novel crystalline product with bright commercial prospect for the classical antiviral drug AMH and also establishes an avenue for the synergetic antiviral application of nutraceutical phenolic acids via the cocrystallization strategy of dual optimization.

Supramolecular self-assembly and perfected in vitro/vivo property of 5-fluorouracil and ferulic acid on the strength of double optimized strategy: the first 5-fluorouracial-phenolic acid nutraceutical cocrystal with synergistic antitumor efficacy.

For highlighting the predominance of phenolic acid nutraceutical ferulic acid (FR) in regulating the in vivo/vitro performances of anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (Flu) and strengthening their cooperativity in antitumor effect, thus achieving a major breakthrough in the development of drug-nutraceutical cocrystal with synergistic antitumor action, a cocrystallization strategy of dual optimization is created, in which both the in vivo and vitro natures of Flu are improved by exploiting the FR's excellent physicochemical property. Moreover, Flu's anticancer effects were promoted by exerting the assistant antitumor peculiarity of FR. Such dual optimization of FR for Flu in physicochemical properties and anticancer activities is beneficial for realizing synergistic augmentation effect by taking the benefit of the cooperativeness of Flu and FR in the anticancer ability. Based on this idea, a novel cocrystal of Flu and FR, namely, Flu-FR-H2O, is successfully assembled as the first 5-fluorouracil-nutraceutical cocrystal with synergistic antitumor effect and its explicit structure is resolved. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction demonstrates that Flu and FR have a ratio of 1 : 1 with one equivalent of solvent water in the cocrystal, where one-dimensional hydrogen-bonding helices and FR-Flu hydrogen-bonding pairs, together construct a three-dimensional supramolecular network. By combining experimental evaluation with theoretical analysis, in vitro/vivo pharmaceutical properties are scientifically investigated. Results show that the permeability and aqueous solubility of Flu are respectively elevated by 5.08 and 1.64 folds, which has brought about ameliorated pharmacokinetics, thus providing prolonged retention time and increased oral bioavailability. More interestingly, the cocrystal shows synergistic inhibition ability of Flu and FR against tested tumor cell strains, hence laying the groundwork for reducing the dosage and even the toxic side effects of Flu. As a result of this, the present research not only provides a new strategy for Flu to optimize its physicochemical properties and antitumor activities simultaneously but also offers some opinions for the development of synergistic antitumor pharmaceutical cocrystals.

Recent advances in the synthesis and applications of phosphoramides.

Phosphoramide, as an important framework of many biologically active molecules, has attracted widespread attention in recent decades. It is not only widely used in pharmaceuticals because of its excellent biological activities, but it also shows good performance in organic dyes, flame retardants and extractors. Thus, it is of great significance to develop effective and convenient methods for the synthesis of phosphoramides. In this review, the recent advancements made in the synthesis routes and applications of phosphoramides are discussed. The synthetic strategies of phosphoramides can be separated into five categories: phosphorus halides as the substrate, phosphates as the substrate, phosphorus hydrogen as the substrate, azides as the substrate and other methods. The latest examples of these methods are provided and some representative mechanisms are also described.

Ir(III)-Catalyzed C-H Functionalization of Triphenylphosphine Oxide toward 3-Aryl Oxindoles.

With triphenylphosphine oxide serving as both the directing group and the reagent, we have developed a Cp*Ir(III)-catalyzed direct C-H functionalization of triphenylphosphine oxide with 3-diazooxindoles to afford a range of 3-(2-(diphenylphosphoryl)phenyl)indolin-2-one derivatives in moderate to excellent yields. The title products are potentially important building blocks for organic synthesis through various chemical transformations. This protocol is simple and efficient and offers high atom economy with only N2 as the byproduct.

Solution-processed, high-performance light-emitting diodes based on quantum dots.

Solution-processed optoelectronic and electronic devices are attractive owing to the potential for low-cost fabrication of large-area devices and the compatibility with lightweight, flexible plastic substrates. Solution-processed light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using conjugated polymers or quantum dots as emitters have attracted great interest over the past two decades. However, the overall performance of solution-processed LEDs--including their efficiency, efficiency roll-off at high current densities, turn-on voltage and lifetime under operational conditions-remains inferior to that of the best vacuum-deposited organic LEDs. Here we report a solution-processed, multilayer quantum-dot-based LED with excellent performance and reproducibility. It exhibits colour-saturated deep-red emission, sub-bandgap turn-on at 1.7 volts, high external quantum efficiencies of up to 20.5 per cent, low efficiency roll-off (up to 15.1 per cent of the external quantum efficiency at 100 mA cm(-2)), and a long operational lifetime of more than 100,000 hours at 100 cd m(-2), making this device the best-performing solution-processed red LED so far, comparable to state-of-the-art vacuum-deposited organic LEDs. This optoelectronic performance is achieved by inserting an insulating layer between the quantum dot layer and the oxide electron-transport layer to optimize charge balance in the device and preserve the superior emissive properties of the quantum dots. We anticipate that our results will be a starting point for further research, leading to high-performance, all-solution-processed quantum-dot-based LEDs ideal for next-generation display and solid-state lighting technologies.

Comparison of Two Numerical Parameters to Assess Detrusor Contractility in Prognosing Short-Term Outcome after Transurethral Resection of the Prostate.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and compare the influence of two numerical detrusor contractility parameters, the bladder contractility index (BCI) and the maximum Watts factor (WFmax), on transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) outcome. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 236 patients who had undergone urodynamic assessment preoperatively and TURP for benign prostatic obstruction. They were evaluated by International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and uroflowmetry preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. Related criteria were established to determine the overall efficacy of TURP. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were made to investigate the influence of the BCI and WFmax on TURP efficacy. RESULTS: Among the 236 patients, 195 treatments were effective and 41 ineffective. Multivariate analysis showed that both the BCI (OR 1.038) and the WFmax (OR 1.291) could influence TURP efficacy. For predicting TURP efficacy, the optimal cut-off values of the BCI and WFmax were 98.7 and 10.27 W/m2, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity of the BCI were 0.722, 78.5% and 61.0%; those of the WFmax were 0.761, 73.9% and 73.2%, with no significant difference (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: To some extent, the BCI and the WFmax can predict TURP efficacy equally well. A discrimination level of 10.27 W/m2 may be a threshold value for detrusor underactivity (DU); as regards the BCI, the current threshold value is appropriate to diagnose DU.

Neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin and ifosfamide (ITP) combination chemotherapy for treating penile squamous cell carcinoma patients with terminal lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy may be a valuable treatment option as neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced penile cancer according to some previous studies, but the rarity of the sample and the Lack of large-scale clinical trials hampered the attempt to establish a solid evidence base for its routine use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with a ITP regimen including docetaxel, cisplatin and ifosfamide for treating advanced penile cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 19 patients who were classified into advanced penile cancer (PN3) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy of ITP regimen from June 2009 to June 2016 in our hospital. RESULTS: After chemotherapy 12 patients had a partial response (PR), 5 had stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD) in 2 cases. The 12 responders underwent penectomy, bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy (ILND) and pelvic lymph node dissection (LPLND). In contrast, 7 cases who were non-responsive received palliative local radiotherapy. After a median follow-up of 30.6 months, there was statistically significant improvement in median PFS and OS among patients who experienced an objective response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (group A) compared with those patients who did not respond to chemotherapy (group B) (log-rank test; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin and ifosfamide chemotherapy gave 63% (12/19) of patients who were diagnosed with stage n3 penile cancer the chance of radical resection of metastases, and their OS and PFS were significantly higher than those who could not be operated on and the therapeutic dose, toxic and side effects are acceptable in the Chinese Han population. Therefore, neoadjuvant ITP chemotherapy in the treatment of stage T3 penile cancer patients may have cheerful prospects in the Chinese Han population.

Effect of marker segregation distortion on high density linkage map construction and QTL mapping in Soybean (Glycine max L.).

Marker segregation distortion is a natural phenomenon. Severely distorted markers are usually excluded in the construction of linkage maps. We investigated the effect of marker segregation distortion on linkage map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. A total of 519 recombinant inbred lines of soybean from orthogonal and reciprocal crosses between LSZZH and NN493-1 were genotyped by specific length amplified fragment markers and seed linoleic acid content was measured in three environments. As a result, twenty linkage groups were constructed with 11,846 markers, including 1513 (12.77%) significantly distorted markers, on 20 chromosomes, and the map length was 2475.86 cM with an average marker-interval of 0.21 cM. The inclusion of distorted markers in the analysis was shown to not only improve the grouping of the markers from the same chromosomes, and the consistency of linkage maps with genome, but also increase genome coverage by markers. Combining genotypic data from both orthogonal and reciprocal crosses decreased the proportion of distorted markers and then improved the quality of linkage maps. Validation of the linkage maps was confirmed by the high collinearity between positions of markers in the soybean reference genome and in linkage maps and by the high consistency of 24 QTL regions in this study compared with the previously reported QTLs and lipid metabolism related genes. Additionally, linkage maps that include distorted markers could add more information to the outputs from QTL mapping. These results provide important information for linkage mapping, gene cloning and marker-assisted selection in soybean.

Postoperative prognostic model for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma in a Chinese population.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a predictive model for the oncological outcomes of clear cell renal cell carcinoma in a Chinese population. METHODS: A retrospective study of 1108 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma who underwent nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy between January 2006 and December 2013 was carried out. Recurrence-free survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Differences between the groups were compared using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to test associations between features and outcomes. The discriminative ability of the models was validated using Harrell's concordance index and bootstrapping. RESULTS: Overall, 942 patients who met the inclusion criteria had been followed. The median follow-up period was 72 months (range 1-143 months). Multivariate analysis showed that age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, preoperative platelet count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, tumor size, 2010 tumor stage (pT3 and pT4) and Fuhrman nuclear grade were independent risk factors affecting recurrence-free survival in clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients (P < 0.05). These factors were assigned to develop a new model. The patients were divided into three groups based on the risk of recurrence. The difference among the prognoses of patients in the three groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The concordance index for our new model and that for Leibovich's 2018 model were 0.791 and 0.750, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, the new model has a higher concordance index than does Leibovich's 2018 model of clear cell renal cell carcinoma in the Asian population, with no added pain for patients. This new model might be an appropriate risk stratification tool for clinical work.

[Normative diagnosis and treatment of small penis].

Small penis is a disease of sexual dysplasia, which might be related to chromosome or genetic abnormalities, pubertal dysplasia, endocrine abnormality, and other factors. Hypogonadism is common in small penis. Children with small penis often have small testes, short stature, and male secondary sexual deficiencies, and the incidence of infertility is high in adulthood. Small penis can be early detected by accurately measuring the stretched penile length, screening the pathogenic causes, and differentiating it from buried or concealed penis. Once definite diagnosis is made, positive clinical intervention should be initiated. Early treatment can improve the prognosis of small penis, the patient's quality of life and the rate of natural pregnancy.

MiR-154 inhibits the growth of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting GALNT7.

MicroRNAs are critical regulators of the development and progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). However, the role of microRNA-154 (miR-154) in the development and progression of LSCC has not been clarified. We found that down-regulated miR-154 expression in LSCC tissues was associated with poorer prognosis in LSCC patients. MiR-154 over-expression inhibited the proliferation, clonogenicity, and migration of LSCC cells and induced cell cycle arrest, which were reversed by miR-154 inhibition. MiR-154 targeted GALNT7 expression by reducing GALNT7-regulated luciferase activity in LSCC cells while up-regulating GALNT7 mRNA transcription in LSCC tissues and cells. GALNT7 silencing significantly attenuated the proliferation, clonogenicity, and migration of LSCC cells and induced cell cycle arrest. Finally, intravenous treatment with lentivirus for miR-154, but not scrambled control miRNA, significantly restrained the growth of implanted LSCC Hep-2 tumors and decreased the tumor mass by reducing GALNT7 expression in mice. Therefore, miR-154 may serve as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for LSCC.