Hair follicle stem cell proliferation and differentiation are achieved by miR-1285-3P through targeted regulation of NOTCH pathway.

The purpose of this experiment is to understand how miR-1285-3P regulates the NOTCH signaling pathway by targeting, thereby affecting the proliferation and differentiation of hair follicle stem cells. The cultured Inner Mongolia hair follicle stem cells were used in this experiment, and they were divided into control group, blank transfection group and miR-1285-3P transfection group. Among them, the control group was left untreated; the blank group was given miR-NC transfection; at the same time, the miR-1285-3P transfection group was given miR-1285-3P mimics for transfection. Compared with the control group (97.24 ± 6.81) and blank gro transfection up (97.32 ± 7.20), the cell proliferation ability of the miR-1285-3P transfection group (49.31 ± 3.39) was significantly lower. Compared with the other two groups, The proliferation ability of cells in the miR-1285-3P transfection group was decreased (P < 0.05); compared with the S-phase hair follicle stem cells in the control group (19.23 ± 1.29) and blank transfection group (19.38 ± 1.45), the miR-1285-3P transfection group (15.26 ± 1.26) decreased more significantly (P < 0.05). For hair follicle stem cells in each group, the proportion of cells in the G0-G1 phase was significantly different between the blank transfection group (63.18 ± 2.78) and the control group (64.29 ± 2.09), and the blank transfection group had a higher proportion (P < 0.05). In the process of miR-1285-3P targeting and regulating NOTCH signaling pathway, the proliferation and differentiation ability of hair follicle stem cells is affected. When NOTCH signaling pathway is activated, the differentiation of hair follicle stem cells is accelerated.

Grain yield and interspecific competition in an oat-common vetch intercropping system at varying sowing density.

Introduction: Oat (Avena nuda L.) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) intercropping in the northern regions of China has resulted in substantial production capabilities. However, there is currently a dearth of comprehensive research on whether this intercropping system can enhance productivity through increased sowing densities and underlying interspecies interaction mechanisms. Methods: A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2022 and 2023 to investigate the yield, biological efficiency, economic efficiency, and competition indicators of oats and common vetch in a high-density intercropping system. Two cropping patterns (monocropping and intercropping) and five sowing densities (D1: 4.5×106 plants ha-1; D2:5.4×106 plants ha-1; D3:6.3×106 plants ha-1; D4: 7.2×106 plants ha-1; and D5: 8.1×106 plants ha-1) were arranged in a randomized block design. Results: At the same sowing density, the intercropped oats exhibited greater grain yield than the monocultures. Increasing the oat sowing density significantly enhanced oat yield, with the D3 level in intercropping showing the highest yield increase, ranging from 30.98% to 31.85%, compared with the monoculture. The common vetch intercropping grain yield was maximized in the D2 treatment. The land equivalent ratio was maximized at the D2 level in both years and was significantly higher than D1, with the land equivalent coefficient, system productivity index, and percentage yield difference suggesting that increasing oat sowing densities improved the productivity of the intercropping system, with the best performance observed at the D2 level. For both years, the proportionate actual yield loss of oat was the highest at the D3 level; significantly surpassing D1, proportionate actual yield loss of common vetch and actual yield loss were the highest at level D2, both significantly surpassing D1. These indicates that appropriate densification contributes to the realization of the advantages of intercropping. With an increased oat sowing density, the economic benefits of the intercropping system were maximized at the D2 and D3 levels. Regarding intercropping competition, oat was the dominant crop under different sowing densities (Aggressivity for oat (AO)>0, relative crowding coefficient for oat (KO)>1, competition ratio for oat (CRO)>1), whereas common vetch was the inferior crop. Compared with the D1 level, the D2 level harmonized the aggressivity, competitive ratio, and relative crowding coefficients of oat and common vetch, significantly increasing crowding coefficient for common vetch (KV) and competition ratio for common vetch by 19.76% to 21.94% and 4.80% to 7.51%, respectively, while reducing KO and CRO. Discussion: This result suggests that in the intercropping of common vetch and oat in alpine regions, rational densification can harmonize interspecific competition and thus improve the biological efficiency and economic benefits of intercropping systems.

Loneliness, spiritual well-being, and death perception, as well as their risk factors in urological cancer patients.

Cancer patients commonly suffer from loneliness, poor spiritual status, and fear of death; however, these evaluations are rarely revealed in urological cancer patients. Thus, this study aimed to assess the loneliness, spiritual well-being, and death perception, as well as their risk factors in urological cancer patients. A total of 324 urological (including renal, bladder, and prostate) cancer patients and 100 healthy controls were included. The University of California and Los Angeles loneliness scale (UCLA-LS), functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp), and death attitude profile-revised (DAP-R) scores were evaluated. The results showed that the UCLA-LS score was higher, but the FACIT-Sp score was lower in urological cancer patients than in healthy controls. According to the DAP-R score, fear of death, death avoidance, and approaching death acceptance were elevated, but neutral acceptance was lower in urological cancer patients than in healthy controls. Among urological cancer patients, the UCLA-LS score was highest but the FACIT-Sp score was lowest in bladder cancer patients; regarding the DAP-R score, fear of death and death avoidance were highest, but approaching death acceptance was lowest in bladder cancer patients. Interestingly, single/divorced/widowed status, bladder cancer diagnosis, higher pathological grade, surgery, systemic treatment, and local treatment were independent factors for higher UCLA-LS score or lower FACIT-Sp score. In conclusion, urological cancer (especially bladder cancer) patients bear increased loneliness and reduced spiritual well-being; they also carry higher fear of death, death avoidance, and approaching death acceptance but lower neutral acceptance of death.

Celastrol enhances tamoxifen sensitivity in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer via mitochondria mediated apoptosis pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the enhancement of chemosensitivity of tamoxifen (TAM) in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) by celastrol (CEL) through mitochondrial mediated pathway. METHODS: Human TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells were divided to the control group (medium treatment), TAM-L group (low concentration TAM treatment, 0.5 µM TAM treatment), TAM-H group (1 µM TAM treatment), CEL-L group (low concentration CEL treatment, 1 µM CEL), CEL-H group (high concentration CEL treatment, 3 µM CEL), CEL-L+TAM group (low concentration CEL and TAM co-treatment) and CEL-H+TAM group (high concentration of CEL co-treated with TAM). The proliferation and invasion of cells in each cell group were detected by MTT assay and Transwell assay, respectively. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by JC-1 staining. 2'-7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) fluorescence probe combined with flow cytometry was used to measure the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. The GSH/(GSSG+GSH) level in the cells was detected with glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The expression levels of the apoptosis-related proteins B lymphocytoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), sheared cysteine-containing aspartate protein hydrolase 3 (Cleaved Caspase-3), and cytochrome C (Cytc) in each group were measured by Western blot. The tumor model of subcutaneous transplantation of TNBC cells in nude mice was established. After administration, the volume and mass of tumors in each group were measured, and the tumor inhibition rate was calculated. RESULTS: Compared with the Control group, cell proliferation inhibition rate (24 h, 48 h), apoptosis rate, ROS level, Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and Cytc protein expression were conspicuously increased in the TAM, CEL-L, CEL-H, CEL-L+TAM and CEL-H+TAM groups (all P < 0.05), and cell migration and invasion, mitochondrial membrane potential, GSH level, and Bcl-2 protein expression were conspicuously decreased (all P < 0.05). Compared with the TAM group, the cell proliferation inhibition rate (24 h, 48 h), apoptosis rate, ROS level, Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and Cytc protein expression were increased in the CEL-H+TAM group (all P < 0.05), and cell migration rate, cell invasion number, mitochondrial membrane potential, GSH level and Bcl-2 protein expression were decreased in the CEL-H+TAM group (all P < 0.05). Compared with the CEL-L group, the cell proliferation inhibition rate (24 h, 48 h), apoptosis rate, ROS level, Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and Cytc protein expression were significantly increased in the CEL-H group (all P < 0.05), and cell migration rate, cell invasion number, mitochondrial membrane potential, GSH level and Bcl-2 protein expression were decreased in the CEL-H group (all P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the tumor volume of TAM group, CEL-H group, CEL-L+TAM group and CEL-H+TAM group decreased (all P < 0.05). Compared with TAM group, the tumor volume in CEL-H+TAM group decreased significantly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CEL can promote apoptosis and enhance the TAM sensitivity in TNBC treatment through a mitochondria-mediated pathway.

Loneliness, spiritual well-being, and death perception, as well as their risk factors in urological cancer patients

Cancer patients commonly suffer from loneliness, poor spiritual status, and fear of death; however, these evaluations are rarely revealed in urological cancer patients. Thus, this study aimed to assess the loneliness, spiritual well-being, and death perception, as well as their risk factors in urological cancer patients. A total of 324 urological (including renal, bladder, and prostate) cancer patients and 100 healthy controls were included. The University of California and Los Angeles loneliness scale (UCLA-LS), functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp), and death attitude profile-revised (DAP-R) scores were evaluated. The results showed that the UCLA-LS score was higher, but the FACIT-Sp score was lower in urological cancer patients than in healthy controls. According to the DAP-R score, fear of death, death avoidance, and approaching death acceptance were elevated, but neutral acceptance was lower in urological cancer patients than in healthy controls. Among urological cancer patients, the UCLA-LS score was highest but the FACIT-Sp score was lowest in bladder cancer patients; regarding the DAP-R score, fear of death and death avoidance were highest, but approaching death acceptance was lowest in bladder cancer patients. Interestingly, single/divorced/widowed status, bladder cancer diagnosis, higher pathological grade, surgery, systemic treatment, and local treatment were independent factors for higher UCLA-LS score or lower FACIT-Sp score. In conclusion, urological cancer (especially bladder cancer) patients bear increased loneliness and reduced spiritual well-being; they also carry higher fear of death, death avoidance, and approaching death acceptance but lower neutral acceptance of death.

[Effects of long-term fertilization on pH buffer system of sandy loam calcareous fluvor-aquic soil].

Soil samples (0-80 cm) were collected from a 30-year fertilization experimental site in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province of East China to study the variations of the pH, calcium carbonate and active calcium carbonate contents, and pH buffer capacity of sandy loam calcareous fluvor-aquic soil under different fertilization treatments. Thirty-year continuous application of different fertilizers accelerated the acidification of topsoil (0-20 cm), with the soil pH decreased by 0.41-0.70. Under different fertilization, the soil pH buffer capacity (pHBC) varied from 15.82 to 21.96 cmol x kg(-1). As compared with no fertilization, single N fertilization decreased the pHBC significantly, but N fertilization combined with organic fertilization could significantly increase the pHBC. The soil pHBC had significant positive correlations with soil calcium carbonate and active calcium carbonate contents, but less correlation with soil organic matter content and soil cation exchange capacity, suggesting that after a long-term fertilization, the sandy loam calcareous fluvor-aquic soil was still of an elementary calcium carbonate buffer system, and soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity contributed little to the buffer system. The soil calcium carbonate and active calcium carbonate contents were greater in 0-40 cm than in 40-80 cm soil layer. Comparing with soil calcium carbonate, soil active calcium carbonate was more sensitive to reflect the changes of soil physical and chemical properties, suggesting that the calcium carbonate buffer system could be further classified as soil active calcium carbonate buffer system.