Experimental Investigation on Laser-Induced Electrochemical Silver Plating Technology.

The silver coating is widely used in electronic device manufacturing due to its excellent conductivity and soldering properties. Conventional preparation of local silver coating often uses the preplated silver, mask high-speed silver plating, and deplated silver processes. In this paper, the laser-induced electrodeposition technique is used to perform maskless laser-induced localized electrodeposition on a copper substrate preplated with a layer of silver. After the deplated silver process, ultrathin silver coatings with high dimensional accuracy, good corrosion resistance, and good bonding were obtained. The spatial distribution of the transient temperature field under laser irradiation is studied, the variation pattern of cathode substrate current under laser irradiation is tested, and finally, the spatial distribution of the pressure field under laser irradiation is simulated by Comsol. The effect of different laser scanning methods on the coating morphology was investigated, and the experimental study of the different single pulse energy-induced localized silver coatings was systematically carried out. The results show that the localized coating obtained by cross-line scanning with a laser single pulse energy of 93 µJ is flat with a film thickness of 0.23 µm, high dimensional accuracy, and good bonding force and corrosion resistance properties. This method provides a new approach for the preparation of a localized silver coating.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the DUF4228 Family in Soybean and Functional Identification of GmDUF4228 -70 in Response to Drought and Salt Stresses.

Domain of unknown function 4228 (DUF4228) proteins are a class of proteins widely found in plants, playing an important role in response to abiotic stresses. However, studies on the DUF4228 family in soybean (Glycine max L.) are sparse. In this study, we identified a total of 81 DUF4228 genes in soybean genome, named systematically based on their chromosome distributions. Results showed that these genes were unevenly distributed on the 20 chromosomes of soybean. The predicted soybean DUF4228 proteins were identified in three groups (Groups I-III) based on a maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree. Genetic structure analysis showed that most of the GmDUF4228 genes contained no introns. Expression profiling showed that GmDUF4228 genes were widely expressed in different organs and tissues in soybean. RNA-seq data were used to characterize the expression profiles of GmDUF4228 genes under the treatments of drought and salt stresses, with nine genes showing significant up-regulation under both drought and salt stress further functionally verified by promoter (cis-acting elements) analysis and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Due to its upregulation under drought and salt stresses based on both RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses, GmDUF4228-70 was selected for further functional analysis in transgenic plants. Under drought stress, the degree of leaf curling and wilting of the GmDUF4228-70-overexpressing (GmDUF4228-70-OE) line was lower than that of the empty vector (EV) line. GmDUF4228-70-OE lines also showed increased proline content, relative water content (RWC), and chlorophyll content, and decreased contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2, and O2-. Under salt stress, the changes in phenotypic and physiological indicators of transgenic plants were the same as those under drought stress. In addition, overexpression of the GmDUF4228-70 gene promoted the expression of marker genes under both drought and salt stresses. Taken together, the results indicated that GmDUF4228 genes play important roles in response to abiotic stresses in soybean.

Mindfulness-based online intervention on mental health and quality of life among COVID-19 patients in China: an intervention design.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 can lead to increased psychological symptoms such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety among patients with COVID-19. Based on the previous mindfulness-based interventions proved to be effective, this protocol reports a design of a randomized controlled trial aiming to explore the efficacy and possible mechanism of a mindful living with challenge (MLWC) intervention developed for COVID-19 survivors in alleviating their psychological problems caused by both the disease and the pandemic. METHODS: In April 2021, more than 1600 eligible participants from Hubei Province of China will be assigned 1:1 to an online MLWC intervention group or a waitlist control group. All participants will be asked to complete online questionnaires at baseline, post-program, and 3-month follow-up. The differences of mental health status (e.g. PTSD) and physical symptoms including fatigue and sleeplessness between the COVID-19 survivors who receiving the online MLWC intervention and the control group will be assessed. In addition, the possible mediators and moderators of the link between the MLWC intervention and target outcomes will be evaluated by related verified scales, such as the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire. Data will be analyzed based on an intention-to-treat approach, and SPSS software will be used to perform statistical analysis. DISCUSSION: The efficacy and potential mechanism of MLWC intervention in improving the quality of life and psychological status of COVID-19 survivors in China are expected to be reported. Findings from this study will shed light on a novel and feasible model in improving the psychological well-being of people during such public health emergencies. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), ChiCTR2000037524; Registered on August 29, 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=60034 .

Pituitary Tumor Suppression by Combination of Cabergoline and Chloroquine.

Context: The dopamine agonist cabergoline (CAB) has been used widely in the treatment of prolactinomas and other types of pituitary adenomas, but its clinical use is hampered by intolerance in some patients with prolactinoma and lack of effectiveness in other pituitary tumor types. Chloroquine (CQ) is an old drug widely used to treat malaria. Recent studies, including our own, have revealed that CAB and CQ are involved in induction of autophagy and activation of autophagic cell death. Objective: To test whether CAB and CQ can function cooperatively to suppress growth of pituitary adenomas as well as other cancers. Results: In vitro studies using the rat pituitary tumor cell lines MMQ and GH3, human pituitary tumor cell primary cultures, and several human cancer cell lines showed that CQ enhanced suppression of cell proliferation by CAB. These results were confirmed in in vivo xenograft models in nude mice and estrogen-induced rat prolactinomas. To understand the mechanism of combined CAB and CQ action, we established a low-CAB-dose condition in which CAB was able to induce autophagy but failed to suppress cell growth. Addition of CQ to low-dose CAB blocked normal autophagic cycles and induced apoptosis, evidenced by the further accumulation of p62/caspase-8/LC3-II. Conclusion: The data suggest that combined use of CAB and CQ may increase clinical effectiveness in treatment of human pituitary adenomas, as well as other cancers, making it an attractive option in tumor and cancer therapies.

Activation of DRD5 (dopamine receptor D5) inhibits tumor growth by autophagic cell death.

Dopamine agonists such as bromocriptine and cabergoline have been successfully used in the treatment of pituitary prolactinomas and other neuroendocrine tumors. However, their therapeutic mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study we demonstrated that DRD5 (dopamine receptor D5) agonists were potent inhibitors of pituitary tumor growth. We further found that DRD5 activation increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibited the MTOR pathway, induced macroautophagy/autophagy, and led to autophagic cell death (ACD) in vitro and in vivo. In addition, DRD5 protein was highly expressed in the majority of human pituitary adenomas, and treatment of different human pituitary tumor cell cultures with the DRD5 agonist SKF83959 resulted in growth suppression, and the efficacy was correlated with the expression levels of DRD5 in the tumors. Furthermore, we found that DRD5 was expressed in other human cancer cells such as glioblastomas, colon cancer, and gastric cancer. DRD5 activation in these cell lines suppressed their growth, inhibited MTOR activity, and induced autophagy. Finally, in vivo SKF83959 also inhibited human gastric cancer cell growth in nude mice. Our studies revealed novel mechanisms for the tumor suppressive effects of DRD5 agonists, and suggested a potential use of DRD5 agonists as a novel therapeutic approach in the treatment of different human tumors and cancers.

Effects of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on electrospun poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-based nanocomposite scaffolds on neural cells proliferation.

The repair of nerves remains a major challenge in neuron-regeneration. In this study, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PLGA/MWCNTs) nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning method. The surface morphology, physical, and mechanical properties were characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy, and tensile tests, respectively. SEM analysis, Live/Dead staining, immunostaining assays were performed to evaluate neural cells growth. Blending PLGA with MWCNTs resulted in increase diameter and porosity of the scaffolds, and exhibited better mechanical properties. The results demonstrated that the scaffolds with higher MWCNTs concentration provided better survival for neural cells after 8 days of culture, especially for astrocytes growth. This could be useful in treating the disease like multiple sclerosis that causing central nervous system demyelination and axonal injury. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 934-943, 2017.

Heat Shock Protein 47 Promotes Glioma Angiogenesis.

Heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) is a collagen-binding protein, which has been recently found to express in glioma vessels. However, the expression profile of HSP47 in glioma patients and the underlying mechanisms of HSP47 on glioma angiogenesis are not fully explored. In the current study, we found that expression of HSP47 in glioma vessels was correlated with the grades of gliomas. HSP47 knockdown by siRNAs significantly decreased cell viability in vitro and tumor volume in vivo; moreover, it reduced the microvessel density (MVD) by CD31 immunohistochemistry in vivo. HSP47 knockdown significantly inhibited tube formation, invasion and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Furthermore, conditional medium derived from HSP47 knockdown cells significantly inhibited HUVECs tube formation and migration, while it increased chemosensitivity of HUVECs cells to Avastin. Silencing of HSP47 decreased VEGF expression in glioma cells consistently, and reduced glioma vasculature. Furthermore, HSP47 promoted glioma angiogenesis through HIF1α-VEGFR2 signaling. The present study demonstrates that HSP47 promotes glioma angiogenesis and highlights the importance of HSP47 as an attractive therapeutic target of GBM.

Dopamine agonist resistance-related endocan promotes angiogenesis and cells viability of prolactinomas.

Dopamine agonists (DAs) are the first-line treatment of prolactinomas. They function through the dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) in the tumor cells. Endocan, also called endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 (ESM1), has been described as a marker of neoangiogenesis. However, whether ESM1 promotes the resistance of prolactinomas to DA therapy is largely unknown. In our study, 25 patients with prolactinomas were divided into resistant- and sensitive- groups according to the clinical response to bromocriptine. We found that ESM1-microvessel density of resistant prolactinomas was significantly higher than that of sensitive prolactinomas (47.9 ± 11.6, n = 8, vs 13.1 ± 2.8, n = 17, p = 0.0006), indicating that ESM1 was a DA resistance-related gene. Immunostaining showed that ESM1 was expressed in tumor vessels and sporadic tumor cells, and ESM1 was overlapped with the Smooth Muscle Actin (SMA) and von Willebrand Factor (VWF) in the tumor vessels. Silencing of ESM1 markedly suppressed the viability of GH3 and MMQ cells in vitro, and furthermore, significantly increased the sensitivity of GH3 and MMQ cells to DA treatment. Additionally, silencing of ESM1 down-regulated the angiogenesis-associated genes, such as VEGFR2, FGF2, CD34, CD31, VWF, and EGFR. Knockdown of ESM1 decreased endothelial tube formation of HUVECs, and significantly increased the sensitivity of HUVECs to Avastin treatment. Therefore, we first demonstrate that DA resistance-related ESM1 promotes the angiogenesis and tumor cells growth of prolactinomas, suggesting that ESM1 may be a novel therapeutic target for prolactinomas.

Suppression of mTOR pathway and induction of autophagy-dependent cell death by cabergoline.

Cabergoline (CAB), the first-line drug for treatment of prolactinomas, is effective in suppressing prolactin hypersecretion, reducing tumor size, and restoring gonadal function. However, mechanisms for CAB-mediated tumor shrinkage are largely unknown. Here we report a novel cytotoxic mechanism for CAB. CAB induced formation of autophagosome in rat pituitary tumor MMQ and GH3 cells at the early stage through inhibiting mTOR pathway, resulting in higher conversion rates of LC3-I to LC3-II, GFP-LC3 aggregation, and increased autophagosome formation. Interestingly, CAB treatment augmented lysosome acidification and resulted in impaired proteolytic degradation within autolysosomes. This blocked the autophagic flux, leading to the accumulation of p62 aggregation and undigested autolysosomes. Knockdown of ATG7, ATG5, or Becn1, could significantly rescue the CAB-mediated cell death of MMQ cells (p < 0.05). CAB-induced autophagy and blockade of autophagy flux participated in antitumoral action in vivo. In conclusion, our study provides evidence that CAB concomitantly induces autophagy and inhibits the autophagic flux, leading to autophagy-dependent cell death. These findings elucidate novel mechanisms for CAB action.

Potential Neurogenesis of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells on Electrospun Catalpol-Loaded Composite Nanofibrous Scaffolds.

Catalpol, a natural active ingredient extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine, was verified exhibiting beneficial effects on neural differentiation compared with commonly used chemical inducers by our previous studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of catalpol-loaded scaffold on guiding neuronal differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs). Fabrication technique of catalpol loading into the electrospun poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes/silk fibroin nanofibrous scaffolds was successfully established. The topographical and mechanical properties of the nanofibers scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and tensile instrument, respectively. In vitro catalpol release was studied in phosphate-buffered solution at 37 °C. Immunnocytochemistry, RT-PCR, and western blot assays were performed to estimate hASCs neuronal differentiation, and it was shown that catalpol has significantly upregulated the expressions of ßIII-tubulin and Nissl. Our experiments demonstrated that catalpol, as a traditional Chinese medicine extract, could be encapsulated into composite nanofibers and induce differentiation of hASCs into neural-like cells, which might offer new avenues in nerve regeneration.

[The impact of community-based organizations in HIV testing mobilization among men who have sex with men].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of efforts of community-based organizations (CBO) in HIV testing mobilization and case finding among men who have sex with men(MSM). METHODS: Results of HIV testing mobilization among MSM through CBOs in 15 program areas were collected and compared with corresponding HIV case reporting data to demonstrate the contribution of CBO-based HIV testing in HIV case finding among MSM from July 2008 to December 2011. Meanwhile,the proportion of screened HIV positives who received testing results notification,confirmatory test, following up and CD4 cell tests were analyzed and compared with those identified in medical institutions. RESULTS: A total of 196 075 HIV tests were performed for MSM, as a result of mobilization efforts of CBOs. Cumulatively 7704 new HIV cases were identified, accounting for 51.7% (7704/14 914) of all newly diagnosed HIV cases infected via homosexual sex in the program areas.Among the newly diagnosed MSM HIV infections in the program areas,the proportion of infections detected through the mobilization of CBOs increased from 35.4% (609/1722) in 2008 to 63.7% (2371/3722) in 2010, and 58.3% (3024/5189) in 2011. Compared with those identified through medical institutions, newly diagnosed MSM infections detected though CBOs testing mobilization have higher rates of receiving screening testing results notification (97.3% (4441/4563) vs 92.8% (13 140/14 153)) , (84.6% (2559/3024) vs 79.8% (5589/7002)) and CD4 cell tests (66.1% (1999/3024) vs 52.9% (3705/7002)), and a lower rate of receiving confirmatory test (78.6% (3588/4563) vs 85.6% (12 115/14 153)). CONCLUSION: CBOs can take their advantages in mobilizing MSM to receive HIV test, and MSM HIV cases detected through CBOs have become the main source of MSM HIV case finding in program areas.

Case report: gastric adenocarcinoma metastatic to the prostate gland.

Metastasis to the prostate gland from gastric cancer is exceedingly rare. We have presented a rare case of gastric malignancy metastasizing to the prostate diagnosed by transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy.

[Establishment of liver fibrosis in rabbit model and quantitative study on hepatic perfusion with dynamic whole-liver 3D MR imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ideal approach in creating rabbit model of hepatic fibrosis and to evaluate the feasibility and value of dynamic whole-liver 3D magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) in the quantitative study on the staging of hepatic fibrosis. METHODS: Rabbit model of hepatic fibrosis was created by intraperitoneal injection of 5% and 100% carbon tetrachloride (0.1 ml/kg, once a week) respectively. MR perfusion weighted imaging was performed at the 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th week since injection. The time of peak (TOP), the time to peak (TTP), the maximum slope of increase(MSI) and the maximal relative signal increase (MRSI) of portal vein and hepatic parenchyma were analyzed quantitatively, and were compared with pathological results. Comparison of different concentrations of CCl4 was analyzed using chi-square test. Inter-group comparison of perfusion parameters was analyzed using one-way ANOVA P less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. RESULTS: 40% of the rabbits treated with 5% carbon tetrachloride developed hepatic fibrosis, while 75% of the rabbits treated with 100% carbon tetrachloride developed hepatic fibrosis; the mortality rate is significantly different between these two groups (X2=5.013, P less than 0.05). PWI examination was successfully achieved in 31 rabbits, liver perfusion baseline was stable, and good TIC curve was obtained. With the progress of hepatic fibrosis, TOP and TTP of portal vein and hepatic parenchyma were increased, and MSI and MRSI were decreased. There were significant differences among stage of S0-S2, S3 and S4. CONCLUSIONS: The method (100% carbon tetrachloride intraperitoneal injection, 0.1 ml/kg, once a week) has high success rate of creating rabbit model of hepatic fibrosis. The stage of hepatic fibrosis could be evaluated quantitatively with dynamic whole-liver 3D MR perfusion-weighted imaging.

[Desmoplastic small round cell tumor: report of 2 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To recognize the characteristics of desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) and improve the standard of diagnosis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data on the treatment of 2 patients with DSRCT in terms of their conditions, tissue sources, pathologic characteristics, immunohistochemical methods, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. RESULTS: Clinical manifestations were complicated. The 2 patients were mis diagnosed before operation. Their tumors consisted of irregular nests of small and round cells, with nuclear hyperchromatism and scant cytoplasm embedded in a plenty of fibrous connective tissues. The edge of the nest was clear, with different sizes and shapes. Immunohistochemically, the 2 patients were positive for CK or EMA, NSE, des and vim of the epithelium, nerve, muscle and interstitial. They died 9 months after operation. CONCLUSIONS: The tumor may occur in the abdomen, pelvic cavity and other sites, with different clinical manifestations. Routine examination should be replaced by immunohistochemical test for correct diagnosis of the tumor. Prognosis of most patients is not good.