Recent advances in chiral liquid chromatography stationary phases for pharmaceutical analysis.

Chirality is a common phenomenon in nature. Different enantiomers of chiral drug compounds have obvious differences in their effects on the human body. Therefore, the separation of chiral drugs plays an extremely important role in the safe utilization of drugs. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is an effective tool for the separation and analysis of compounds, in which the chromatographic packing plays a key role in the separation. Chiral pharmaceutical separation and analysis in HPLC rely on chiral stationary phases (CSPs). Thus, various CSPs are being developed to meet the needs of chiral drug separation and analysis. In this review, recent developments in CSPs, including saccharides (cyclodextrin, cellulose, amylose and chitosan), macrocycles (macrocyclic glycopeptides, pillar[n]arene and polyamide) and porous organic materials (metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, and porous organic cages), for pharmaceutical analysis in HPLC were summarized, the advantages and disadvantages of various stationary phases were introduced, and their development prospects were discussed.

Recent development of chiral ionic liquids for enantioseparation in liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis: A review.

Ionic liquids (ILs), which are salts in a molten state below 100 °C, have become a hot topic of research in various fields because of their negligible vapour pressure, high thermal stability, and tunable viscosity. Chiral ionic liquids (CILs) can be applied in chromatography and capillary electrophoresis fields to improve the performance of enantiomeric separation, such as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) and mobile phase additives in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); CSPs in gas chromatography (GC); and background electrolyte additives (BGE), chiral ligands and chiral selectors (CSs) in capillary electrophoresis (CE). This review focuses on the applications of CILs in HPLC and CE for the separation of enantiomers in the past five years. The mechanism for separating enantiomers was explained, and the prospect of the application of CILs in chiral liquid chromatography (LC) and CE analysis was also discussed.

Multi-omics reveals that the host-microbiome metabolism crosstalk of differential rumen bacterial enterotypes can regulate the milk protein synthesis of dairy cows.

BACKGROUND: Dairy cows' lactation performance is the outcome of the crosstalk between ruminal microbial metabolism and host metabolism. However, it is still unclear to what extent the rumen microbiome and its metabolites, as well as the host metabolism, contribute to regulating the milk protein yield (MPY). METHODS: The rumen fluid, serum and milk of 12 Holstein cows with the same diet (45% coarseness ratio), parity (2-3 fetuses) and lactation days (120-150 d) were used for the microbiome and metabolome analysis. Rumen metabolism (rumen metabolome) and host metabolism (blood and milk metabolome) were connected using a weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) and the structural equation model (SEM) analyses. RESULTS: Two different ruminal enterotypes, with abundant Prevotella and Ruminococcus, were identified as type1 and type2. Of these, a higher MPY was found in cows with ruminal type2. Interestingly, [Ruminococcus] gauvreauii group and norank_f_Ruminococcaceae (the differential bacteria) were the hub genera of the network. In addition, differential ruminal, serum and milk metabolome between enterotypes were identified, where the cows with type2 had higher L-tyrosine of rumen, ornithine and L-tryptophan of serum, and tetrahydroneopterin, palmitoyl-L-carnitine, S-lactoylglutathione of milk, which could provide more energy and substrate for MPY. Further, based on the identified modules of ruminal microbiome, as well as ruminal serum and milk metabolome using WGCNA, the SEM analysis indicated that the key ruminal microbial module1, which contains the hub genera of the network ([Ruminococcus] gauvreauii group and norank_f_Ruminococcaceae) and high abundance of bacteria (Prevotella and Ruminococcus), could regulate the MPY by module7 of rumen, module2 of blood, and module7 of milk, which contained L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan. Therefore, in order to more clearly reveal the process of rumen bacterial regulation of MPY, we established the path of SEM based on the L-tyrosine, L-tryptophan and related components. The SEM based on the metabolites suggested that [Ruminococcus] gauvreauii group could inhibit the energy supply of serum tryptophan to MPY by milk S-lactoylglutathione, which could enhance pyruvate metabolism. Norank_f_Ruminococcaceae could increase the ruminal L-tyrosine, which could provide the substrate for MPY. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the represented enterotype genera of Prevotella and Ruminococcus, and the hub genera of [Ruminococcus] gauvreauii group and norank_f_Ruminococcaceae could regulate milk protein synthesis by affecting the ruminal L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan. Moreover, the combined analysis of enterotype, WGCNA and SEM could be used to connect rumen microbial metabolism with host metabolism, which provides a fundamental understanding of the crosstalk between host and microorganisms in regulating the synthesis of milk composition.

Microbial Enterotypes Shape the Divergence in Gut Fermentation, Host Metabolism, and Growth Rate of Young Goats.

Enterotypes can be useful tools for studying the gut microbial community landscape, which is thought to play a crucial role in animal performance. However, few studies have been carried out to identify enterotypes and their associations with growth performance in young goats. In this study, two enterotypes were categorized in 76 goats: cluster 1 (n = 39) and cluster 2 (n = 37). Compared to cluster 2, cluster 1 had greater growth rates, the concentrations of acetate, propionate, valerate, and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the gut. Several serum glycolipid metabolism parameters, including glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), were also increased in cluster 1, while serum IgG was decreased in cluster 1. Using α-diversity analysis, we found a microbiome with lower richness and diversity in cluster 1. Some gut bacteria, including Succinivibrio and several members of the Prevotellaceae family, were enriched in cluster 1, while Christensenellaceae R-7 group, Romboutsia, and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 were enriched in cluster 2. A co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the differential interaction patterns existed in two enterotypes, and microbial function prediction suggested that some nutrient metabolism-related pathways, including amino acid biosynthesis and starch and sucrose metabolism, were enriched in cluster 1. Furthermore, a correlation analysis showed that enterotype-related bacteria were closely correlated with gut fermentation, serum biochemistry, and growth rate. Overall, our data provide a new perspective for understanding enterotype characteristics in goats, offering insights into important microbial interaction mechanisms for improving the growth performance of ruminant animals. IMPORTANCE The intricate relationships between a host animal and its resident gut microbiomes provide opportunities for dealing with energy efficiency and production challenges in the livestock industry. Here, we applied the enterotype concept to the gut microbiome in young goats and found that it can be classified into two enterotypes which are apparently associated with divergences in gut fermentation, blood biochemistry, and goat growth rates. The microbial co-occurrence networks and function predictions differed between the two enterotypes, suggesting that the formation of host phenotype may be modified by different bacterial features and complex bacterial interactions. The characteristics of enterotypes related to growth performance in young goats may enable us to improve long-term production performance in goat industry by modulating the gut microbiome during early life.

Non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents with mood disorders and the roles of self-compassion and emotional regulation.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the characteristics and psychological mechanism of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents with mood disorders. We examined how self-compassion and emotional regulation affected NSSI and tested the mediating role of self-compassion in the link between emotional regulation and NSSI. Method: We recruited outpatient and inpatient adolescent patients with bipolar and related disorders or depressive disorders (DSM-5), with a focus on NSSI. We also recruited healthy controls from the community. We collected demographic and clinical data. The Adolescent Self-injury Questionnaire, Self-compassion Scale (SCS), and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) were used to assess the frequency and severity of NSSI, level of self-compassion, and emotional regulation. Results: In total, we recruited 248 adolescent patients with mood disorders (N = 196 with NSSI, and 52 without NSSI) and 212 healthy controls. NSSI was significantly associated with the female sex, lower levels of education and less use of cognitive reappraisal strategies, lower levels of self-warmth, and higher levels of self-coldness. Multivariate analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences in the scores of ERQ, cognitive reassessment score, and the scores of SCS among the three groups, but no statistical differences in expressive suppression score among the three groups. Self-warmth had a mediating effect between cognitive reappraisal and NSSI behavior. Conclusion: NSSI is prevalent among adolescent patients with mood disorders in clinical settings, especially among girls and those with lower levels of education and less cognitive reappraisal strategies. More clinical attention is needed. Self-compassion and its factors may mediate the association between emotional regulation and NSSI. Clinical implications and future research directions were discussed.

Influences of real-time acid-rock reaction heat on etched fracture dimensions during acid fracturing of carbonate reservoirs and field applications.

During acid fracturing, acid-rock reaction heat has a significant influence on temperature profiles in fractures and consequently on etched fracture dimensions, but it is usually neglected or simplified in acid fracturing models. This can lead to misestimating of etched fracture dimensions. A model for calculating real-time acid-rock reaction enthalpy, which is a function of temperature, pressure and volumetric work of carbon dioxide produced by reactions, is coupled into a heat transfer model and a fracture growth model, and its effect on etched fracture dimensions is simulated. True experimental data from SL oilfield in China is used for simulation. The results show that acid-rock reaction heat reduces the effective etched fracture length by around 10%, and the effect of reaction heat on the etched fracture length in limestone is 10%-15% larger than in dolomite. Acid-rock reaction heat makes the etched width profile along a fracture more inhomogeneous. With consideration of acid-rock reaction heat, etched fracture widths are 15%-20% larger near the wellbore and over 20% narrower at fracture tip, and its effects are more intense in limestone than in dolomite. The influences of acid-rock reaction heat on etched fracture dimensions are stronger when the initial formation temperature is lower and when acid of high concentration is used. When the pump rate of acid fracturing is increased, the effect of acid-rock reaction heat on etched fracture dimensions is weakened. The new coupled models were used in carbonate reservoirs in Tarim Basin, China for acid fracturing optimization. A scenario comparison showed that the designed treatment parameters of acid fracturing should be different when acid-rock reaction heat was fully considered. The application of the optimized scenario resulted in at least three folds of production rate increase compared to that before stimulation.

Recent Advances in Polymer Flooding in China.

Polymer flooding is drawing lots of attention because of the technical maturity in some reservoirs. The first commercial polymer flooding in China was performed in the Daqing oilfield and is one of the largest applications in the world. Some laboratory tests from Daqing researchers in China showed that the viscoelasticity of high molecular weight polymers plays a significant role in increasing displacement efficiency. Hence, encouraged by the conventional field applications and new findings on the viscoelasticity effect of polymers on residual oil saturation (ROS), some high-concentration high-molecular-weight (HCHMW) polymer-flooding field tests have been conducted. Although some field tests were well-documented, subsequent progress was seldom reported. It was recently reported that HCHMW has a limited application in Daqing, which does not agree with observations from laboratory core flooding and early field tests. However, the cause of this discrepancy is unclear. Thus, a systematic summary of polymer-flooding mechanisms and field tests in China is necessary. This paper explained why HCHMW is not widely used when considering new understandings of polymer-flooding mechanisms. Different opinions on the viscoelasticity effect of polymers on ROS reduction were critically reviewed. Other mechanisms of polymer flooding, such as wettability change and gravity stability effect, were discussed with regard to widely reported laboratory tests, which were explained in terms of the viscoelasticity effects of polymers on ROS. Recent findings from Chinese field tests were also summarized. Salt-resistance polymers (SRPs) with good economic performance using produced water to prepare polymer solutions were very economically and environmentally promising. Notable progress in SRP flooding and new amphiphilic polymer field tests in China were summarized, and lessons learned were given. Formation blockage, represented by high injection pressure and produced productivity ability, was reported in several oil fields due to misunderstanding of polymers' injectivity. Although the influence of viscoelastic polymers on reservoir conditions is unknown, the injection of very viscous polymers to displace medium-to-high viscosity oils is not recommended. This is especially important for old wells that could cause damage. This paper clarified misleading notions on polymer-flooding implementations based on theory and practices in China.

Clinical tooth segmentation based on local enhancement.

The tooth arrangements of human beings are challenging to accurately observe when relying on dentists' naked eyes, especially for dental caries in children, which is difficult to detect. Cone-beam computer tomography (CBCT) is used as an auxiliary method to measure patients' teeth, including children. However, subjective and irreproducible manual measurements are required during this process, which wastes much time and energy for the dentists. Therefore, a fast and accurate tooth segmentation algorithm that can replace repeated calculations and annotations in manual segmentation has tremendous clinical significance. This study proposes a local contextual enhancement model for clinical dental CBCT images. The local enhancement model, which is more suitable for dental CBCT images, is proposed based on the analysis of the existing contextual models. Then, the local enhancement model is fused into an encoder-decoder framework for dental CBCT images. At last, extensive experiments are conducted to validate our method.

Rejection of Acellular Porcine Corneal Stroma Transplantation During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: To report 2 successfully managed cases of graft rejection with acellular porcine corneal stroma (APCS) transplantation in patients with fungal corneal ulcer. Two patients were diagnosed with fungal corneal ulcer and received APCS transplantation. Graft rejection developed due to the lost follow-up during the period of coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. Amniotic membranes transplantation and cauterization of neovascularization was performed, respectively. The graft failure resolved successfully after the procedure. To the best of our knowledge, amniotic membranes transplantation and cauterization of new vessels are the firstly reported in treating APCS graft failure. Amniotic membranes transplantation or cauterization of neovascularization appear to be a safe and costeffective method for treating graft failure.

Perioperative Management and Long-Term Outcomes in Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery.

Objective: To observe the outcomes of cataract surgery in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) patients and explore routine perioperative medical treatments. Design: Retrospective case series. Methods: Fourteen eyes of 8 patients were included in the study. Foster's stage 1-4 OCP patients were given human intravenous immunoglobulin, whereas patients with active inflammation were treated with prednisone tablets and methotrexate. Those who were intolerant to methotrexate and had severe inflammatory symptoms were treated with cyclophosphamide. Cataract surgery was performed for all patients after three months of systemic treatment under stable conditions. The conjunctival biopsy was evaluated by immunofluorescence microscopy. Then, patients were divided into individuals with or without ankyloblepharon. Records were reviewed for OCP stage, type of surgery, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), Schirmer I test, corneal fluorescein sodium staining, meibomian gland coloboma range, and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores. Follow-up was for the duration of taking topical and systemic medication. Results: Nine female (64.29%) and 4 male (35.71%) eyes were diagnosed with OCP by biopsy. The mean follow-up time was 60.64 ± 35.62 months. Thirteen eyes (92.86%) of 7 patients underwent phacoemulsification. One eye underwent phacoemulsification combined with amniotic membrane transplantation. The intracapsular extraction of cataract was applied to one eye. The BCVA improved significantly in all the patients, which remained stable until the last follow-up. The Schirmer I test was higher than that before the surgery. Corneal fluorescein sodium staining after surgery showed a decrease in score compared to the preoperative score. The BCVA of the patients after surgery increased significantly. The OSDI scores of patients with ankyloblepharon were significantly higher than for those without it. Postoperative symblepharon showed no significant difference compared to the preoperative symblepharon. Conclusions: In this series, OCP patients with cataracts were able to undergo phacoemulsification surgery, whereas routine use of immunosuppression and closed postoperative follow-up were necessary.

Large-Scale Acid Fracturing Based on a Large-Scale Conductivity Apparatus.

The conductivity of an acid-etched fracture is a necessary indicator for the stimulation of dolomite formation, which affects commercial development. The widely accepted test method involves the use of a small-scale conductivity cell for etching and measuring conductivity. However, the field production reflects that the actual conductivity does not match the measured one and is usually lower. Consequently, the existing studies had limitations and hence the stimulation mechanism needed to be explored further. To understand it more realistically, a novel large-scale apparatus was used in this study to test the conductivity of the acid-etched fracture. The use of this apparatus avoided the near-core excessive eroding and weak heterogeneity with continuous etching in a 1000 mm fracture. The results showed that the conductivity was indeed dissimilar to that in small-scale tests. The morphology of etched large-scale cores featured diversity and complexity, including deep and punctate channels, nonuniform pitting grooves with connected channels, and scale-shaped wavy grooves, which exactly demonstrated the multiple morphology under the influence of carbonate heterogeneity in real reservoirs. Moreover, the effect of increasing injection rate led to the unique etching morphology of scale-shaped wavy and pelviform grooves because of scouring flow and turbulence effects. The degree of surface roughness promoted nonuniform etching along the longitudinal and propagation direction, thus enhancing the conductivity of the whole fracture and confirming that the field treatment limited the pressure rather than the injection rate. The conductivity under different acid type, acid concentration, reaction temperature, and injection rate conditions was lower than that reported, confirming the experimental deviation in small-scale conductivity. The proposed large-scale apparatus test represented the acid-etched fracture conductivity more realistically, thus proving beneficial for the development of carbonate reservoirs.

Clinical outcome of phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens implantation for primary angle closure/glaucoma (PAC/PACG) with cataract.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of phacoemulsification (Phaco) combined with intraocular lens implantation for treatment of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) patients with cataract. METHODS: A total of 62 patients treated in our hospital meeting the inclusion criteria were included, including 62 eyes (26 PAC eyes and 36 PACG eyes). PACG patients were divided into early, middle, and advanced stages based on the HPA visual field staging system. The subjects were also grouped according to the extent of peripheral anterior synechia (PAS). Patients received topical medical treatment preoperatively and Phaco performed by the same surgeon. The visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), anterior chamber depth (ACD), medication used, visual field and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were observed before and 6-24 months after surgery. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 68±8.91 years old, and postoperative follow-up was 13.1±5.5 months. Postoperative visual acuity was improved in all patients (P<0.001). Postoperatively, the IOP decreased significantly (P<0.001), the number of medications was reduced (P<0.001), and the ACD was deeper than that before operation (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in visual field (P=0.973) or RNFL (P=0.268) after surgery during the follow-up. There was no statistical difference in postoperative changes of various indexes between PAC and PACG patients. The decrease of IOP in patients with early stage PACG was significantly higher than that in patients in the middle and advanced stages (F=3.519, P=0.041), and the number of medications used in early-stage PACG patients was also significantly lower than that of advanced patients (P=0.020). There was no significant difference in postoperative visual acuity (X2=0.139, P=0.987) or IOP decline (F=0.260, P=0.854) among patients with different extents of preoperative PAS, nor was there any correlation between postoperative IOP control and preoperative PAS. No serious complications were observed in any subject. CONCLUSION: In PAC/PACG patients, Phaco can significantly control IOP, and prevent visual field defect and progressive loss of RNFL, indicating that the procedure has a protective effect on the optic nerve. Phaco is more effective in the treatment of early stage PACG than in middle or advanced stage, and can be used in PAC/PACG patients with different extents of PAS, but close follow-up is necessary.

Huperzine A inhibits heroin-seeking behaviors induced by cue or heroin priming in rats.

Cholinergic systems modulate dopaminergic function in brain pathways are thought to mediate heroin addiction. This study investigated whether huperzine A, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, has beneficial effects on heroin reward and heroin-seeking behavior. Rats were trained to self-administer heroin (50 µg/kg/infusion) under the fixed ratio 1 schedule for 14 days and then drug-seeking was extinguished for 10 days, after which reinstatement of drug-seeking was induced by conditioned cues or heroin priming. Acute treatment with huperzine A at dose from 0.05 to 0.2 mg/kg potently and dose-dependently suppressed the cue- and heroin-induced reinstatement of heroin-seeking behavior following extinction. Huperzine A at these doses failed to alter either heroin rewarding effect or spontaneous locomotion activity. The study demonstrated that acute treatment with huperzine A inhibited heroin-seeking behavior, suggesting that huperzine A may be used as an adjuvant treatment for heroin relapse and addiction.

Prevalence and causes of visual impairment in population more than 50 years old: The Shaanxi Eye Study.

To assess the prevalence and causes of visual impairment (VI) in the elderly Chinese rural population in Shaanxi Province.A population-based, cross-sectional study design was used to determine the extent of VI in Chinese people over the age of 50 years in Shaanxi Province. Visual acuity and best-corrected visual acuity were measured using the logarithm of minimum angle of resolution chart. Blindness and low vision were defined according to WHO criteria. The major cause of VI was identified for all participants who were visually impaired.A total of 1912 residents completed a standard questionnaire and underwent a detailed eye examination, and the response rate was 90%. The overall prevalence of blindness and low vision were 1.5% and 8.2%. There was no statistically significant differences between genders in the prevalence of blindness and low vision (P > .05). The prevalence of blindness and low vision was higher among older individuals (P < .05) and lower (P < .05) among those with the highest education level. Cataract, corneal opacity, and glaucoma were considered as the main causes of blindness, which accounted for 67.9%, 10.7%, and 7.1%, respectively. Cataract, refractive error, and age-related macular degeneration were always considered as the leading causes of low vision, which accounted for 66%, 14.7%, and 5.8%, respectively.Cataract, corneal opacity, and glaucoma were the main causes of blindness and low vision in the population aged 50 years or more. The prevalence of these diseases that causes blindness and low vision was higher than that reported in other studies.

Let-7a-5p represses proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting Smad2 in TGF-b2-induced human lens epithelial cells.

Transforming growth factor ß2 (TGF-ß2)/Smad signaling is widely accepted as a key inducer of proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human lens epithelial cells (LECs), contributing to the development of posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Increasing evidence shows that microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in PCO pathogenesis. Herein, we aimed to explore the role and molecular mechanism of let-7a-5p on TGF-ß2-induced proliferation and EMT in LECs. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of let-7a-5p and Smad2 mRNA. Western blot was used to determine the Smad2 level and the induction of EMT. The targeted correlation between let-7a-5p and Smad2 was confirmed using dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. CCK-8 assay was employed to determine cell proliferation, and transwell assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion. We found that TGF-ß2 induced EMT of LECs, and TGF-ß2 upregulated Smad2 expression and reduced let-7a-5p expression in LECs. Smad2 was a direct target of let-7a-5p. Moreover, let-7a-5p upregulation repressed proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in TGF-ß2-induced LECs. But, Smad2 expression restoration abrogated the inhibitory effect of let-7a-5p upregulation. In conclusion, our data indicated that let-7a-5p upregulation repressed TGF-ß2-induced proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT at least partly by targeting Smad2 in LECs, highlighting that let-7a-5p might act as a promising therapeutic target to intervene to the progression of PCO.

The expression of mouse double minute 2 homolog and P73 had no correlation with growth arrest DNA damage-inducible gene 45α in patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma: A STROBE-compliant study.

To investigate the difference in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression of growth arrest DNA damage-inducible gene 45α (GADD45α), mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2), and P73 in cancer and cancer-adjacent tissues in patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).We compared the mRNA expression of GADD45α and MDM2 and the protein expression of GADD45α, MDM2, and P73 in lung cancer and cancer-adjacent tissues in NSCLC patients by quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and Western Blot (WB). We analyzed GADD45α, MDM2, and P73 expression in patients with different pathological types of NSCLC, and the correlation of these genes with gender, smoking history, and TNM/T stages.IHC results suggested that MDM2 protein expression significantly increased in cancer tissues in female patients (P = .01), but not in male patients. In addition, WB results indicated that P73 protein expression significantly decreased in cancer tissues in patients with adenocarcinoma (P = .03), but not squamous carcinoma.MDM2 and P73 protein levels were differentially regulated in cancer and cancer-adjacient tissues in patients with sub types of NSCLC. There was no significant difference in GADD45α expression between cancer and cancer-adjacent tissues in NSCLC patients.

miR-143 inhibits migration and invasion through regulating LASP1 in human esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the common cancers in China with high incidence and poor prognosis. Increasing evidence has emphasized the important roles of differentially expressed miRNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression. Previous studies indicated that miR-143-3p and LASP1 influence cell growth in ESCC and other cancer types. However, the function and molecular mechanism of action of miR-143 and LASP1 in ESCC have not been fully explored. METHODS: miR-143 and LASP1 expression were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The protein level of LASP1 was measured by western blot. Cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay. Cell migration and invasion capacity was measured by transwell assay. Targeting of LASP1 mRNA by miR-143 was verified by luciferase reporter assay. Overall survival of ESCC patients with different miR-143 expression level was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: miR-143 expression was down-regulated, while LASP1 expression was up-regulated in ESCC tissues and cells compared to non-malignant counterparts. LASP1 mRNA was identified as a target of miR-143. Low miR-143 expression or high LASP1 expression significantly associated with ESCC patients' decreased survival. miR-143 mimic transfection inhibited ESCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, which was impaired by LASP1 overexpression. CONCLUSION: miR-143 suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by down-regulating LASP1.

Efficacy and adverse reactions of methotrexate in the treatment of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid: A case series study.

The application of methotrexate (MTX) in the treatment of autoimmune diseases has been gradually increasing, but reports of MTX treatment for advanced ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) are extremely rare. This study investigated the efficacy and adverse reactions of low-dose MTX in patients with OCP.This was a retrospective, noncontrolled, case series study. Eleven patients diagnosed with advanced OCP (4 cases in stage III and 7 cases in stage IV) were enrolled. Treatment by oral administration of MTX (7.5 ±â€Š2.5 mg) alone was performed. Visual acuity of the patients, conjunctival inflammation, cicatrization, ocular surface keratinization, and toxic side effects of drugs were evaluated.All patients enrolled in this study were females aged 32 to 83 years. Patients were followed up for 4 to 33 months. Low-dose MTX improved visual acuity of 3 cases (6 eyes, 27.3%). Conjunctival inflammation of 5 patients (10 eyes) rested after treatment, and conjunctival inflammation of 3 cases (6 eyes, 27.3%) was decreased with an effective rate of 72.7%. Cicatrices of 8 cases (15 eyes) showed degeneration after treatment with an effective rate of 71.4% (15/21). Ocular surface keratinization receded in 4 cases with an effective rate of 66.7%. None of the patients discontinued the treatment due to severe toxic side effects. All patients tolerated mild drug-induced gastrointestinal reactions. Three patients terminated the treatment in advance after 4 to 6 months due to no improvement in the disease condition.Observation of clinical efficacy and safety findings demonstrated that low-dose MTX can be used to treat patients with advanced OCP.

Edge defect switched dual spin filter in zigzag hexagonal boron nitride nanoribbons.

Unlike graphene nanoribbons, zigzag monolayer hexagonal boron nitride nanoribbons (ZBNNRs) possess two distinct edges (B and N edges). Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the spin-dependent electronic transport of ZBNNRs with edge defects. It is found that the defects could make the system operate as a dual spin filter, where the direction of spin polarization is switched by the defect. Further analysis shows that the transmission eigenchannels for the opposite spins reside spatially separated on opposite edges. The defect on one edge could suppress the transmission for only one spin component, but preserve that for the other spin, resulting in a dual spin filter effect. This effect is found to be unaffected by the width of the ribbon and the length of the defect. Moreover, by constructing defects on both edges, the system exhibits two transmission peaks with opposite spins residing discretely on both sides of the Fermi level, suggesting that an electrically controlled dual spin filter based on ZBNNRs is also realizable. As controllable defects have been experimentally fabricated on monolayer boron nitride [T. Pham, A. L. Gibb, Z. Li, S. M. Gilbert, C. Song, S. G. Louie and A. Zettl, Nano Lett., 2016, 16, 7142-7147], our results may shed light on the development of B/N-based spintronic devices.

Contribution of the α5 GABAA receptor to the discriminative stimulus effects of propofol in rat.

Propofol as an agonist of GABAA receptor has a rewarding and discriminative stimulus effect. However, which subtype of the GABAA receptor is involved in the discriminative stimulus effects of propofol is still not clear. We observed the effects of an agonist or an antagonist of the subtype-selective GABAA receptor on discriminative stimulus effects of propofol. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 10 mg/kg (intraperitoneal) propofol from intralipid under a fixed-ratio 10 schedule of food reinforcement. We found that propofol produced dose-dependent substitution for propofol at 10 mg/kg, with response rate reduction only at a dose above those producing the complete substitution. CL218,872 (1-3 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), an α1 subunit-selective GABAA receptor agonist, and SL651,498 (0.3-3 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), an α2/3 GABAA receptor selective agonist, could partially substitute for the discriminative stimulus effects of propofol (40-80% propofol-appropriate responding). Meanwhile, L838,417 (0.2-0.6 mg/kg, intravenous), a α2/3/5 GABAA receptor selective agonist, could produce near 100% propofol-appropriate responding and completely substitute for propofol effects. Moreover, the administration of L655,708, the α5 GABAA receptor inverse agonist, could dose dependently attenuate the discriminative stimulus of propofol. In contrast, the α1 GABAA receptor antagonist ß-CCt (1-3 mg/kg) combined with propofol (10 mg/kg) failed to block the propofol effect. The data showed that propofol produces discriminative stimulus effects in a dose-dependent manner and acts mainly on the α5 GABAA to produce the discriminative stimulus effect.