[Retracted] MicroRNA­140 represses glioma growth and metastasis by directly targeting ADAM9.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that certain of the Transwell cell invasion and migration assay data shown in Figs. 2C and 5D were strikingly similar to data in different form in other articles written by different authors at different research institutes, which had either already been published or had been submitted for publication at around the same time (some of which have now been retracted). Owing to the fact that certain of the data in the above article had already been published prior to its submission to Oncology Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Oncology Reports 36: 2329­2338, 2016; DOI: 10.3892/or.2016.5007].

A nonsense mutation in VHL causing Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome in a large Chinese family-a genetic study of familial neoplastic disease.

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome is a multi-organ neoplastic disease characterized by highly vascular and cystic tumors in the central nervous system (CNS), retina, and visceral lesions, which are mainly caused by germline mutations in VHL. We aimed to detect novel mutations in VHL gene in families with VHL. Here, a large consanguineous four-generation family with variant phenotypes of VHL syndrome was recruited, and its molecular genetics were tested via Sanger sequencing. And various tools and databases were used to predict the variant pathogenicity, frequency, and protein function. Genetic investigation detected a c.351G > A nonsense mutation in VHL that altered the downstream reading frame and created a premature TGA stop signal, resulting in severely truncated pVHL (p.Trp117Ter). This mutation is absent from most public databases, and functional prediction bioinformatic tools demonstrated that this residue is conserved and that this variant is highly likely to be deleterious. The c.315G > A nonsense mutation in VHL is the causal mutation of this kindred that may lead to clear familial aggregation of VHL syndrome because of the dysfunction of the truncated pVHL.

Conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid by a simple and metal-free catalytic system.

A simple and metal-free catalytic system composed of NaOtBu/DMF and an O2 balloon efficiently converted 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) to furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid with an 80.85% yield. 5-HMF analogues and various types of alcohols were also transformed to their corresponding acids in satisfactory to excellent yield by this catalytic system.

[Structural Characteristics of Phytoplankton Communities and Its Relationship with Environmental Factors in a Group of Drinking Water Reservoirs by Water Transmission from Modaomen Waterway in Zhuhai].

Modaomen Waterway is the main outlet of the Pear River system and an important water source for Zhuhai and Macao. The water quality of 13 sampling sites in Modaomen Waterway, phytoplankton, and environmental factors were investigated at 21 sampling sites in 4 drinking water source groups, which transport water from Modaomen Waterway and connect with each other, in August and October of 2021. A total of 73 genera of phytoplankton in eight phyla were identified, with a total of 150 species, most of them belonging to Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, and Bacillariophyta. The relative abundance of Cyanophyta was higher than 90% in the DJS and YL reservoirs during flood and dry seasons; Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, and Bacillariophyta were dominant phyla during different seasons; and their distribution was balanced in the ZXD and ZY reservoirs. The Shannon-Wiener index, Pielous uniformity index, and Margalef richness index showed that the ZY reservoir had the most abundant biodiversity, which indicated the best water quality, followed by the ZXD and YL reservoirs. Conversely, the DJS was the least diverse reservoir for phytoplankton. The PCoA analysis indicated significant differences in plankton structures in ZXD and ZY with the other two reservoirs (P<0.05), respectively. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of the phytoplankton community were NO3-, TOC, TP, Cl-, and NH4+-N. These results indicated that the phytoplankton community of the four reservoirs were greatly affected by the nutrient salt caused by water transport, which suggested that the water quality of Modaomen Waterway should be improved to increase reservoir water nutrition to ensure the safety of drinking water sources.

[Pollution Characteristics and Risks of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Underground and Surface Drinking Water Sources in Northeast Inner Mongolia].

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hazardous and ubiquitous pollutants in the aquatic environment, and understanding the pollution characteristics and risk levels of PAHs is of great significance to the sustainable development of drinking water sources and drinking water safety. Hence, PAHs residues were measured qualitatively and quantitatively with solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPE-GC-MS) in 33 water samples (including 22 groundwater and 11 surface water samples) of the drinking water sources in the Manzhouli and Xinyouqi areas of northeast Inner Mongolia, and assessments of the pollution level of PAHs and the health and ecological risks were carried out. The results showed that PAHs were detected in all 33 sampling points of Manzhouli drinking water sources, except for benzo[k] fluoranthene, benzo[a] pyrene, and dibenzo[a,h] anthracene, with detection rates ranging from 36.36% to 95.45%; the detection rates of the other 13 PAHs monomers were 100%. The detection range of ρ（ΣPAHs） was 42.76-164.50 ng·L-1, and the mean value was 90.82 ng·L-1. The detection ranges of ρ（ΣPAHs） in surface water and groundwater were 66.39-164.50 ng·L-1 and 42.76-147.70 ng·L-1, respectively. The concentration of the detected naphthalene was the highest, with a mean value of 36.91 ng·L-1, and the concentration of anthracene was the lowest, with a mean value of 0.81 ng·L-1; there were no significant differences among the concentrations of all the PAHs monomers of the surface and groundwater (P>0.05). The pollution of PAHs was at a median level in China and abroad, mainly in the middle and low loops (3-4 loops). The analysis of the sources of PAHs in groundwater and surface water in Manzhouli using the ratio feature method and principal component analysis showed that the PAHs in the drinking water source water bodies in the Manzhouli area were mainly affected by the combustion of coal and biomass and oil, and some surface water sources were affected by the oil source. The human health and ecological risk assessment results showed that the water body of drinking water would not cause health risks to the human body, and the ecological risk was at a medium level; however, the high risk of benzo[b] fluoranthene (BbF) monomer production should be continuous cause for concern. From the perspective of the sustainable development of drinking water sources and drinking water safety, the necessary supervision and protection measures should be considered to prevent further pollution. The results of this research provide a scientific basis for the pollution control and prevention and control of PAHs in drinking water sources.

Bilateral remote cerebellar hemorrhage following surgical clipping a ruptured supratentorial aneurysm.

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage (RCH) is a rare and severe complication after supratentorial surgery, with various risk factors and mechanisms remaining uncertain. Herein, we report a 64-year-old female patient suffered bilateral RCH following surgical clipping a ruptured aneurysm of internal carotid artery bifurcation. RCH is considered as venous in origin, and is likely the result of intra-operative or post-operative loss of CSF. Thus, appropriate control and close monitor the intra-operative and post-operative loss of CSF is of great importance for preventing the occurrence of RCH.

Distribution characteristics of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in the Yangtze River Delta.

In this work, a method was developed and optimized for the analysis of polyfluoroalkyl and/or perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) content in surface water and sediment samples with high instrumental response and good separation. Surface water and sediment samples were collected from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) to analyze the distribution characteristics of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs), perfluoroalkyl phosphonic acids (PFPAs), perfluoroalkyl phosphinic acids (PFPiAs), and polyfluoroalkyl phosphoric acid diesters (diPAPs). The results showed that the total concentrations of PFCAs and PFSAs in YRD varied from 31 to 902ng/L. PFCAs (≥11 carbons) and PFSAs (≥10 carbons atoms) were not detected in any surface water samples. The mean concentrations of all PFCAs and PFSAs in surface water from the sampling areas decreased in the following order: Yangtze river (191ng/L)≈Taihu lake (189ng/L)>Huangpu river (122ng/L)≈Qiantang river (120ng/L)>Jiaxing urban river (100ng/L). Strong significant (p<0.05) correlations between the concentrations of many of the compounds were found in the sampling areas, suggesting a common source for these compounds. Only perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was observed in all sediment samples, at concentrations varying from 0.02 to 1.35ng/g. Finally, detection rates of two diPAPs were only 8% and 10%, respectively and the concentration of diPAPs was two to three times lower compared to PFCAs and PFSAs.

Dual Functional MicroRNA-186-5p Targets both FGF2 and RelA to Suppress Tumorigenesis of Glioblastoma Multiforme.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most malignant cancers. MicroRNAs (miRs) were reported to play important roles in GBM recently. However, the role of a novel miR-186-5p in GBM tumorigenesis is still elusive. Using bioinformatics, miR-186-5p was identified as potential regulators of both fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and NF-κB subunit RelA. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the direct recognition FGF2 and RelA mRNAs by miR-186-5p. Invasion and migration assays were employed to study the effect of miR-186-5p on GBM cell growth in vitro. Xenograft tumor animal model was established to elucidate the in vivo function of miR-186-5p. MiR-186-5p directly targeted mRNAs of both FGF2 and RelA, and repressed their expressions. Invasive and migratory abilities of GBM cells and growth of xenograft tumors were significantly inhibited by miR-186-5p, which can be restored by re-introduction of FGF2 and RelA expressions. MiR-186-5p is a novel tumor suppressor miR that functions to inhibit tumorigenesis of GBM both in vitro and in vivo, by targeting both FGF2 and RelA. MiR-186-5p/FGF2/RelA pathway may be potentially used as molecular targets of in the clinical treatment of GBM.

[Establishment of A Clinical Prediction Model of Solid Solitary Pulmonary Nodules].

BACKGROUND: The solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) is a common and challenging clinical problem, especially solid SPN. The object of this study was to explore the predictive factors of SPN appearing as pure solid with malignance and to establish a clinical prediction model of solid SPNs. METHODS: We had a retrospective review of 317 solid SPNs (group A) having a final diagnosis in the department of thoracic surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital from January 2015 to December 2015, and analyzed their clinical data and computed tomography (CT) images, including age, gender, smoking history, family history of cancer, previous cancer history, diameter of nodule, nodule location (upper lobe or non-upper lobe, left or right), clear border, smooth margin, lobulation, spiculation, vascular convergence, pleural retraction sign, air bronchogram sign, vocule sign, cavity and calcification. By using univariate and multivariate analysis, we found the independent predictors of malignancy of solid SPNs and subsequently established a clinical prediction model. Then, another 139 solid SPNs with a final diagnosis were chosen in department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Affiliated Zhoushan Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University as group B, and used to verify the accuracy of the prediction model. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed using the prediction model. RESULTS: Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify eight clinical characteristics (age, family history of cancer, previous cancer history, clear border, lobulation, spiculation, air bronchogram sign, calcification) as independent predictors of malignancy of in solid SPNs. The area under the ROC curve for our model (0.922; 95%CI: 0.865-0.961). In our model, diagnosis accuration rate was 84.89%. Sensitivity was 90.41%, and specificity was 78.79%, and positive predictive value was 80.50%, and negative predictive value was 88.14%. CONCLUSIONS: Our prediction model could accurately identify malignancy in patients with solid SPNs, thereby it can provide help for diagnosis of solid SPNs.

MicroRNA-140 represses glioma growth and metastasis by directly targeting ADAM9.

Glioma is the most frequent primary malignant tumor of the human brain. Recently, great progress has been made in the combined therapy of glioma. However, the clinical effects of these treatments and prognosis for patients with glioma remains poor. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to play important roles in the initiation and progression of various types of human cancers, also including glioma. The present study investigated the expression patterns of microRNA­140 (miR-140) in glioma, and the roles of miR-140 in glioma cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The results showed that miR-140 was significantly downreuglated in glioma tissues and cell lines, and low expression levels of miR-140 were correlated with World Health Organization (WHO) grade and Karnofsky performance score (KPS) of glioma patients. Restoration of miR-140 obviously suppressed glioma cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In addition, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 9 (ADAM9) was identified as a novel direct target gene of miR-140 in glioma. Furthermore, knockdown of ADAM9 simulated the tumor suppressor functions of miR-140, while overexpression of ADAM9 abrogated these suppressive effects induced by miR-140 in glioma cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the expression and clinical roles of miR-140 in glioma and suggested that miR-140 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells, partially at least via suppressing ADAM9 expression. Therefore, miR-140 may be a novel candidate target for the development of therapeutic strategies for patients with glioma.

Clinical characteristics and advantages of primary peripheral micro-sized lung adenocarcinoma over small-sized lung adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Micro-sized lung adenocarcinoma with a tumour of 1.0 cm or less could help identify the patients who would undergo the surgery treatment with limited resection; however, its clinical characteristics and survival rates remain unclear and are to be tested further. METHODS: Histology, lymphatic metastasis, surgical procedure and survival rates of 366 lung adenocarcinoma patients (from January 2007 to December 2013) with a tumour of 2.0 cm or less were analysed retrospectively. Among these patients, 175 had a primary tumour with a diameter of 1.0 cm or less and 191 had a tumour of 1.1-2.0 cm. The survival of 366 patients was evaluated by the restricted mean survival time (RMST) test, and the risk factors were assessed by multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Larger lesion had a significant relation to old age, male sex, preoperatively carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) positive, invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) and advanced-stage disease (P < 0.0001, P = 0.001, P = 0.001, P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Patients with adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS)/minimally invasive adenocarcinoma obtained a better prognosis than those with IAC (5-year overall survival rate: 98.5 vs 84.3%, P = 0.001; disease-related survival rate: 98.5 versus 85.2%, P = 0.001). The 5-year overall survival rates of patients with a tumour less than 1.0 cm in comparison with 1.1-2.0 cm were 100.0 and 88.4% (P < 0.001), whereas the 5-year lung adenocarcinoma-specific survival rates were 100.0 and 89.0% (P < 0.001), respectively. Multivariable analysis for prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients with a tumour 2.0 cm or less in diameter revealed that histology, lymphatic metastasis and advanced pathological stage affected the 5-year overall and disease-related survival rates unfavourably (P < 0.0001, 0.002, 0.001; and P < 0.0001, 0.005, 0.001, respectively), whereas tumour size did not have an obvious influence on survival. CONCLUSIONS: Micro-sized lung adenocarcinoma (1.0 cm or less) had specific clinical characteristics and more favourable survival rates. These tumours and a subtype of AIS evaluated by computed tomography images or intraoperative frozen section may be appropriate candidates for a limited resection without mediastinal lymph node dissection.

[Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Water of Yuqiao Reservoir Watershed During the Water Delivery Period].

In order to understand the pollution status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the groundwater of Yuqiao Reservoir Watershed, the 16 US EPA priority control PAHs in the groundwater of this region were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Not only the distribution characteristics and sources of PAHs, but also the potential probabilistic carcinogenic risk through drinking water and the ecological risk were assessed in this study. The results showed that PAHs could be detected in all the 18 samples. The results showed that the contents and concentration of PAHs were different between the upstream river and Yuqiao Reservoir. For the upstream river, the concentrations of ∑PAHs ranged from 13.7 ng·L-1 to 104.1 ng·L-1, and the low-ring number PAHs was dominant except the site of Sahe river bridge, and 2-3 ring number PAHs accounted for about 86%-95% of the ∑PAHs. The heavier contaminant level was monitored among the intensive fishery breeding areas located in Dahei river reservoir. For the Yuqiao Reservoir, the mass of 2-3 ring and 4-6 ring number PAHs was similar and the concentration of ∑PAHs ranged from 1.6 ng·L-1 to 3512.5 ng·L-1. The highest ∑PAHs was measured at the sampling sites located in the north of reservoir. The resource pollution of PAHs in this region was appointed by the molecular ratio of Flu/Pyr and Fla/(Fla+Pyr) and it showed that the combustion of coal and biomass was predominant during the sampling campaign. The health risk of drinking water in the study area was evaluated using the recommended method by US EPA and the cancer risk exceeded 10-6. The ecological risk was assessed by the value of risk quotient (RQ) adopted by Kalf and the RQs of B[a]A, B[k]F and BaP were all higher than 1. The above results indicated that the government should pay enough attention to the health risk and ecological risk of PAHs in the water of reservoir.