CircAGFG1 Promotes Ovarian Cancer Progression Through the miR-409-3 p/ZEB1 Axis.

OBJECTIVES: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) serve a crucial regulatory role in ovarian cancer (OC). Circular RNA ArfGAP with FG repeats 1 (circAGFG1) has been shown to be involved in promoting the progression of several cancers, containing triple-negative breast cancer, esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer. However, the function of circAGFG1 in OC is unclear. METHODS: Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) was conducted to determine the expression levels of circAGFG1 and miR-409-3p. The proliferation and metastasis of cells were determined by colony formation assays, EdU assays, transwell assays and wound healing assays. In addition, a dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to validate the mechanism between circAGFG1, miR-409-3p, and ZEB1. RESULTS: Our data suggested that circAGFG1 was significantly overexpressed in OC tissues compared to normal ovarian epithelial tissues. Overexpression of circAGFG1 was correlated with intraperitoneal metastasis, tumor recurrence and advanced stage. Additionally, circAGFG1 overexpression revealed a poor prognosis in OC patients. Knockdown of circAGFG1 suppressed the proliferation, invasion and migration of OC cells. Mechanistically, circAGFG1 acted as a sponge of miR-409-3p to enhance the expression level of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), thereby conferring OC cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Importantly, re-expression of ZEB1 effectively reversed the effects of circAGFG1 knockdown on OC cells. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our study indicated that circAGFG1 may act as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for patients with OC.

A Clinical Observation Study for Transnasal Endoscopic Marsupialization in the Treatment of Maxillary Cyst.

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and evaluate the clinical effects of transnasal marsupialization of maxillary cyst under nasal endoscope. Twenty patients with maxillary bone cysts were treated with endoscopic marsupialization. According to the location of the maxillary bone cyst, the opening window was selected in the nasal base or the inferior or middle nasal meatus. The cyst wall of the window was removed, and the fluid was drained out. The diameter of the opening window was more than 1 cm, so that the cyst and the maxillary sinus can be fused into a cavity. This ensured nasal drainage through the cyst cavity and nasal cavity or maxillary sinus. The patients were followed up for 6 to 18 months. No serious complications occurred. The cyst wall epithelialized 2 or 3 months after the operation, and the cyst cavity drained well with no recurrence. Intranasal marsupialization under a nasal endoscope is a feasible alternative for the treatment of maxillary cysts. It makes the procedure simple, safe, less traumatic, has definite clinical effects, and low recurrence rate. Especially suitable for maxillary cysts protruding into the nasal floor or maxillary sinus.

Application of long non-coding RNA RBAT1 in improving diagnosis and prognosis of ovarian carcinoma.

Tumorigenesis of bladder cancer and retinoblastoma is correlated with long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) RBAT1. However, the role of RBAT1 in ovarian carcinoma (OC) is unclear. Thus, the study explored the role of RBAT1 in OC. This research enrolled patients with OC ( n = 68), irritable bowel disease (IBD, n = 68, females), digestive tract inflammation (DTI, n = 68, females), urinary tract infection (UTI, n = 68, females), endometriosis (EM, n = 68, females), and healthy controls (HCs, n = 68) to collect plasma sampled. OC and paired non-tumor tissues were collected from patients with OC. RBAT1 accumulation in all samples was analyzed using RT-qPCR. The role of plasma RBAT1 in OC diagnosis was examined using the ROC curves with OC patients as the true positive cases and other patients and HCs as the true negative cases. The role of RBAT1 in predicting the survival of OC patients was analyzed using the survival curve study. RBAT1 was overexpressed in both OC plasma and tissues. Plasma RBAT1 levels were correlated with RBAT1 levels in OC tissues but not in non-tumor tissues. Plasma RBAT1 could distinguish OC patients from other patients and HCs. Patients with high plasma RBAT1 levels had a shorter survival. RBAT1 is overexpressed in OC and might be applied to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of OC.

Nell-1 attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in human dental pulp cells.

Nel-like molecule type 1 (Nell-1) is a secreted protein that plays an important role in osteoinduction in multiple animal models. A previous study has suggested the anti-inflammatory effect of Nell-1 on bone inflammation inhibition. However, its role in pulpitis has not been investigated. The present study aims to explore the effect of human recombinant Nell-1 (Nell-1) on rat pulp inflammation response, and its effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in human dental pulp cells and its related intracellular signaling pathways. 30 Wistar rats with healthy non-carious maxillary first molars were chosen, Nell-1 was absorbed onto a sterile collagen sponge and capped onto exposed pulps. The expression of IL-6 and IL-8 were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) were isolated from healthy extracted premolars and third molars. hDPCs were co-cultured with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Nell-1 protein, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as IL-6 and IL-8, was examined via quantitative real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that Nell-1 inhibited the inflammatory response of rat pulp. LPS treatment contributed to the expression of inflammatory factors in hDPCs, whereas Nell-1 obviously suppressed the LPS-induced inflammation. p38 MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) MAPK inhibitors attenuated the anti-inflammatory effect of hrNell-1, whereas the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) MAPK inhibitor exerted minimal effect. Therefore Nell-1 could inhibit LPS-induced inflammation in human dental pulp cells, and this effect may be mediated by p38 and ERK MAPK signaling pathways, but not JNK MAPK signaling pathway.

A Study on Environmental Factors for Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and/or Palate.

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between environmental factors and nonsyndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate (NSCL/P) in Yantai District, China. A retrospective case-control study was carried out. A total of 236 NSCL/P children were selected from Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Yantai Stomatological Hospital between September 2013 and December 2016 as cases; 209 controls were chosen from other diagnosis in the same department during the same period. The 2 groups matched age and sex. The parents of participants were inquired regarding the risk factors, and the answers were filled in a questionnaire by physicians. Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analysis the data. There was significantly increased NSCL/P risk with high maternal age (P =0.002), family history (P = 0.001), abortion history (P = 0.033), poor parental education level (P = 0.008), maternal smoking (P = 0.044), maternal alcohol (P = 0.039), common cold or fever (P = 0.035), drug use (P = 0.006), and maternal stress (P = 0.049). Reduced NSCL/P risk was found with folic acid supplementation (P = 0.005), adequate maternal age (P = 0.002), and high parental education (P = 0.001). The proper amount of folic acid, the appropriate age of childbearing, and the high education were the protective factors of NSCL/P, whereas family history, abortion history, drug use during pregnancy, maternal tobacco and alcohol, and maternal stress were the risk factors for NSCL/P in Yantai District, China.

Nel-like Molecule 1 Contributes to the Odontoblastic Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Cells.

INTRODUCTION: Nel-like molecule-1 (Nell-1) with epidermal cell growth factor-like coding structures is a recently discovered secreted protein that can specifically induce osteoblast differentiation, bone formation, and bone regeneration. The expression and localization of Nell-1 during murine molar development suggest that this protein participates in odontoblastic differentiation. This study aims to assess the expression of Nell-1 in the pulp-dentin complex of human teeth and determine the effect of human recombinant Nell-1 (hrNell-1) on odontoblastic differentiation of cultured human dental pulp cells. METHODS: Immunohistochemical assay was performed to detect the expression and location of Nell-1 in healthy human teeth. The activity of alkaline phosphatase in human dental pulp cells stimulated by hrNell-1 was examined. Moreover, the expression of related odontoblastic markers was evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical results showed that Nell-1 was primarily expressed in the odontoblasts (odontoblastic bodies and processes), pulp fibroblasts, and endothelial cells of the blood vessels in human teeth. In vitro experiments showed that hrNell-1 could increase the activity of alkaline phosphatase and enhance the expression of important odontoblastic markers including osteopontin and dentin matrix protein 1 in cultured human dental pulp cells. CONCLUSIONS: Nell-1 plays a role in odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp cells and dentin formation.

Robust Indoor Human Activity Recognition Using Wireless Signals.

Wireless signals-based activity detection and recognition technology may be complementary to the existing vision-based methods, especially under the circumstance of occlusions, viewpoint change, complex background, lighting condition change, and so on. This paper explores the properties of the channel state information (CSI) of Wi-Fi signals, and presents a robust indoor daily human activity recognition framework with only one pair of transmission points (TP) and access points (AP). First of all, some indoor human actions are selected as primitive actions forming a training set. Then, an online filtering method is designed to make actions' CSI curves smooth and allow them to contain enough pattern information. Each primitive action pattern can be segmented from the outliers of its multi-input multi-output (MIMO) signals by a proposed segmentation method. Lastly, in online activities recognition, by selecting proper features and Support Vector Machine (SVM) based multi-classification, activities constituted by primitive actions can be recognized insensitive to the locations, orientations, and speeds.

Topical timolol maleate for superficial infantile hemangiomas: an observational study.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to assess the clinical effects and safety of topical timolol maleate for the management of superficial infantile hemangiomas (IHs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 2012 to March 2014, 35 infants (24 girls and 11 boys; 2 to 10 months old; median age, 4.7 months) with superficial hemangiomas were treated with the local application of timolol maleate in the authors' department. Thirty-five lesions were treated using topically administrated timolol maleate every 12 hours for a mean duration of 22 weeks (range, 6 to 45 weeks). Follow-up visits were scheduled monthly and changes in tumor size, texture, and color were recorded. Treatment response was scored according to a 3-point scale system as good, partial, or no response. Adverse effects after medication were evaluated and managed accordingly. RESULTS: All patients completed treatment. Of the 35 hemangiomas, 18 (51.4%) showed a good response, 10 (31.4%) showed a partial response, and 6 (17.2%) had no response. The total response rate was 82.8% (29 of 35). Clinically, no systemic or local side effects caused by timolol maleate were observed in the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Topical timolol maleate could provide an effective and safe alternative to the systemic use of propranolol for the treatment of superficial IHs. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of topical timolol maleate for the treatment of IHs.

Percutaneous Treatment of Large Venous Malformations in the Oral and Maxillofacial Regions Using Electrochemical Therapy Combined With Pingyangmycin.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic outcome of using electrochemical therapy (ECT) combined with a sclerosing agent, pingyangmycin (bleomycin A5 hydrochloride; PYM), for large (>3 cm in diameter) venous malformations (VMs) in the oral and maxillofacial regions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients (15 male and 20 female; age range, 10 to 69 yr; mean age, 32 yr) with large VMs in the oral and maxillofacial region were treated with a combination of ECT and PYM under general anesthesia in the authors' department from June 2012 through May 2014. The size of the lesions varied from 3 × 3 to 12 × 15 cm. A repeated course of ECT and PYM was administered for larger VMs. The therapeutic interval was 3 months for ECT and 2 to 4 weeks for PYM. The dose of PYM for patients was 8 mg each time, and the injection concentration of PYM was 1.6 mg/mL. Patients were followed for 6 to 36 months. Therapeutic results were evaluated by clinical examination and Doppler ultrasonography before and after treatment. RESULTS: Of the 35 patients, 29 (82.9%) received 1 ECT treatment, 5 (14.3%) received 2 ECT treatments, and 1 (2.8%) received 3 ECT treatments. The number of PYM injection sessions was 1 to 5 (average, 2.5 times). According to the therapeutic criteria, the clinical outcome was excellent in 22 patients (62.9%), good in 10 patients (28.6%), and fair in 3 patients (8.5%). All patients (100%) had local swelling postoperatively that lasted approximately 1 to 2 weeks. Two patients (5.7%) had fever. No skin necrosis or nerve damage was found. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous treatment using ECT and PYM was a straightforward, safe, and reliable treatment modality for large VMs.

Treatment of severe infantile hemangiomas with propranolol: an evaluation of the efficacy and effects of cardiovascular parameters in 25 consecutive patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic results and effects of propranolol on cardiovascular parameters in infants receiving systemic propranolol for complicated infantile hemangiomas (IHs), as well as to evaluate the adverse effects of propranolol throughout the course of treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive patients who presented with complicated IHs were prospectively recruited into this study between April 2012 and June 2013. All patients were treated with systemic propranolol at a dose of 1.0 to 1.5 mg/kg, and the drug was taken once per day. The length of treatment was 8.2 months on average and ranged from 6 to 12 months. The follow-up visits were scheduled monthly after discharge. Changes were recorded during the 3-day hospitalization, including systolic and diastolic blood pressures, heart rate, and blood glucose level. The treatment responses were scored according to a 4-point scale system as very good, good, mild, or no response. The adverse effects after medication administration were evaluated and managed accordingly. RESULTS: Of the 25 patients, 8 (32%) had a very good response, 11 (44%) had a good response, and 6 (24%) had a mild response. When pretreatment and post-treatment values were compared, there was no significant decrease in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures and mean heart rate (all P > .05). The decreases in the cardiovascular parameters were not commonly associated with observable clinical symptoms. No major collateral effects were observed, and no infants were withdrawn from treatment because of side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Fluctuations from the normal ranges of cardiovascular parameters occurred frequently with the initiation of propranolol, but were clinically asymptomatic. Therefore oral propranolol was an effective and safe treatment for IHs, particularly for early intervention suitable for severe IHs.