Chiral-Flux-Phase-Based Topological Superconductivity in Kagome Systems with Mixed Edge Chiralities.

Recent studies have attracted intense attention on the quasi-2D kagome superconductors AV_{3}Sb_{5} (A=K, Rb, and Cs) where the unexpected chiral flux phase (CFP) associates with the spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking in charge density wave states. Here, commencing from the 2-by-2 charge density wave phases, we bridge the gap between topological superconductivity and time-reversal asymmetric CFP in kagome systems. Several chiral topological superconductor (TSC) states featuring distinct Chern numbers emerge for an s-wave or a d-wave superconducting pairing symmetry. Importantly, these CFP-based TSC phases possess unique gapless edge modes with mixed chiralities (i.e., both positive and negative chiralities), but with the net chiralities consistent with the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Chern numbers. We further study the transport properties of a two-terminal junction, using Chern insulator or normal metal leads via atomic Green's function method with Landauer-Büttiker formalism. In both cases, the normal electron tunneling and the crossed Andreev reflection oscillate as the chemical potential changes, but together contribute to plateau transmissions (1 and 3/2, respectively) that exhibit robustness against disorder. These behaviors can be regarded as the signature of a TSC hosting edge states with mixed chiralities.

NPM promotes hepatotoxin-induced fibrosis by inhibiting ROS-induced apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells and upregulating lncMIAT-induced TGF-ß2.

Liver fibrosis is caused by a variety of chronic liver injuries and has caused significant morbidity and mortality in the world with increasing tendency. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism of liver fibrosis is the basis for intervention of this pathological process and drug development. Nucleophosmin (NPM) is a widely expressed nucleolar phosphorylated protein, which is particularly important for cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. The biological role of NPM in liver fibrosis remains unknown. Here we show that NPM promotes liver fibrosis through multiple pathways. Our study found that NPM was up-regulated in cirrhosis tissues and activated in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). NPM inhibition reduced liver fibrosis markers expression in HSCs and inhibited the HSCs proliferation and migration. In mice model, NPM knockdown in HSCs or application of specific NPM inhibitor can remarkably attenuate hepatic fibrosis. Mechanistic analysis showed that NPM promotes hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting HSCs apoptosis through Akt/ROS pathway and by upregulating TGF-ß2 through Akt-induced lncMIAT. LncMIAT up-regulated TGF-ß2 mRNA by competitively sponging miR-16-5p. In response to liver injury, hepatocytes, Kupffer cells and HSCs up-regulated NPM to increase TGF-ß2 secretion to activate HSCs in a paracrine or autocrine manner, leading to increased liver fibrosis. Our study demonstrated that NPM regulated hepatotoxin-induced fibrosis through Akt/ROS-induced apoptosis of HSCs and via the Akt/lncMIAT-up-regulated TGF-ß2. Inhibition of NPM or application of NPM inhibitor CIGB300 remarkably attenuated liver fibrosis. NPM serves a potential new drug target for liver fibrosis.

Transport Theory of Half-Quantized Hall Conductance in a Semimagnetic Topological Insulator.

Recently, a half-quantized Hall conductance (HQHC) plateau was experimentally observed in a semimagnetic topological insulator heterostructure. However, the heterostructure was metallic with a nonzero longitudinal conductance, which contradicts the common belief that quantized Hall conductance is usually observed in insulators. In this work, we systematically study the surface transport of a semimagnetic topological insulator with both gapped and gapless Dirac surfaces in the presence of dephasing process. In particular, we reveal that the HQHC is directly related to the half-quantized chiral current along the edge of a strongly dephasing metal. The Hall conductance keeps a half-quantized value for large dephasing strengths, while the longitudinal conductance varies with Fermi energies and dephasing strengths. Furthermore, we evaluate both the conductance and resistance as a function of the temperature, which is consistent with the experimental results. Our results not only provide the microscopic transport mechanism of the HQHC, but also are instructive for the probe of the HQHC in future experiments.

Glucose substrate in the hydrogen breath test for gut microbiota determination: A recommended noninvasive test.

Intestinal dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) are common in patients with liver cirrhosis. Existing studies have not explored the association between gut dysbiosis and SIBO. We propose some suggestions for the authors' experimental methods and concepts, and we hope these suggestions can be adopted. The hydrogen breath test is worthy of recommendation due to its high accuracy and convenient operation. We suggest changing the substrate of the hydrogen breath test from lactulose to glucose to improve the accuracy of each parameter. SIBO is a small subset of gut dysbiosis, and we propose clarifying the concept of both. SIBO may be caused by liver cirrhosis or one of the pathogeneses of gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, interference from other gastrointestinal diseases should be excluded from this study.

Colitis and colorectal tumors should be further explored and differentiated.

The original article by Yuichi et al explored whether the Japan Narrow-Band Imaging Expert Team classification and the pit pattern classification are suitable for diagnosing neoplastic lesions in patients with ulcerative colitis. In this letter, we offer some other perspectives. Risk factors for colorectal tumors include type 2 diabetes. Among genetic factors, the deletion or mutation of some genes, such as the p53 gene, can lead to colorectal tumors. There are significant gender differences in the occurrence and development of colorectal tumors. Some non-genetic factors, such as smoking, are also associated with the development of colorectal tumors. These all suggest that colorectal tumors are not only caused by ulcerative colitis, and we suggest further exploration and differentiation between colitis and colorectal tumors.

Fuzhuan brick tea affects obesity process by modulating gut microbiota.

The effect of Fuzhuan brick tea (FBT) on metabolism in obese mice is mediated by regulation of N-methyltransferase by aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The expression of the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene is regulated by many transcription factors, and those specific to this effect need further investigation. Experimental animal studies have been designed to observe the effects of a single drug or the sequential effects of drugs. A washout period should be included if different drugs (e.g., antibiotics and FBT) are given to avoid or reduce additive effects or synergy. Currently, most experimental studies performed in mice used only male animals. However, experience has revealed that the results of using only male mice are very likely to have sex differences.

Propensity-matched comparison of balloon-expandable and self-expanding valves for transcatheter aortic valve replacement in a Chinese population.

Background: Balloon-expandable valves (BEV) and self-expanding valves (SEV) for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have shown promising results in Western populations. Herein, we comparatively evaluated their hemodynamics and early clinical outcomes in a Chinese population. Methods: One hundred seventy-eight patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis who had undergone transfemoral TAVR using SEV (n=153; Venus-A, 97; VitaFlow, 56) or BEV (n=25; Sapien3) from September 2020 to April 2021 were retrospectively enrolled, and 25 pairs were propensity-score matched for 10 baseline variables. The primary study outcomes were aortic valve hemodynamics and postoperative complications at discharge and 3-month follow-up. Results: TAVR was successful in all patients. Compared with SEV group, the BEV group had similarly distributed baseline characteristics, procedural time, hospital stay, new pacemaker implantation, and paravalvular regurgitation grade. We also observed that the BEV group had lower rates of balloon pre-dilation (60% vs. 92%, P=0.018), post-dilation (0 vs. 20%, P=0.050) and second valve implantation (0 vs. 24%, P=0.022); higher mean transaortic gradient (14.3±6.1 vs. 10.8±4.9, P=0.030) and proportion of patients with elevated gradients (20% vs. 0, P=0.050) at discharge; and similar rehospitalization, mean transaortic gradient, new pacemaker implantation, and paravalvular regurgitation grade than the SEV group at the 3-month follow-up. There were no deaths in either group. However, the proportion of patients with elevated gradients in SEV group was higher at 3 months than before discharge (24% vs. 0, P=0.022). Conclusions: BEV and SEV for transfemoral TAVR appear comparably safe and effective, with high device success and favorable 3-month clinical outcomes. However, the transaortic gradient and new pacemaker implantation in the SEV group increased during follow-up, warranting larger studies with longer-term follow-up.

Ultrafast exciton delocalization and localization dynamics of a perylene bisimide quadruple π-stack: a nonadiabatic dynamics simulation.

Unraveling the photogenerated exciton dynamics of π-stacked molecular aggregates is of great importance for both fundamental studies and industrial applications. Among various π-stacked molecular aggregates, perylene tetracarboxylic acid bisimide (PBI) based aggregates are regarded as one of the prototypes due to their inherent high fluorescence quantum yield and excellent photostability and flexibility in controlling intermolecular forces via chemical modifications. However, the exciton dynamics of these PBI based aggregates remain elusive up to now. In this work, we have first employed LR-TDDFT-based nonadiabatic dynamics simulations and static electronic structure calculations to investigate the ultrafast exciton dynamics of a newly synthesized perylene bisimide quadruple (PBQ) π-stack. Upon photoexcitation, the S6 to S10 states are the most likely populated excited states, which can be regarded as a combination of local excited (LE) excitons and charge transfer (CT) excitons of those four PBI chromophores. Then, the excited PBQ π-stack relaxes ultrafast to the lowest lying excited S1 state within 500 fs, which is accompanied by the complicated exciton conversion as well as exciton localization/delocalization dynamics. In short, the initially populated hybrid LE and CT excitons convert to the LE excitons of B/C and A/D, in which the LE excitons of B/C contribute the most (∼0.44) while the LE excitons of A/D also have minor contributions (0.21), indicating the formation of the localized excimer state. We use the notations A/B/C/D here to represent the four PBI fragments of PBQ π-stacks along the direction perpendicular to the PBI molecular plane. Additionally, using a recently defined root mean square deviation (RMSD) of electron and hole spatial distributions along three Cartesian coordinates, we could investigate the exciton localization/delocalization dynamics in a quantitative way. Our simulation results indicate that the photoinduced electrons and holes of the PBQ π-stack exhibit an ultrafast localization(∼10 fs)-delocalization(∼60 fs)-localization(∼200 fs) dynamics, during which both LE and CT excitons play crucial roles. Our present work is not only consistent with previous experimental studies, but also provides more detailed insights into the relevant processes, which might be useful for the future design of PBI based optoelectronic devices with improved performances.

"On-The-Fly" Non-Adiabatic Dynamics Simulations on Photoinduced Ring-Closing Reaction of a Nucleoside-Based Diarylethene Photoswitch.

Nucleoside-based diarylethenes are emerging as an especial class of photochromic compounds that have potential applications in regulating biological systems using noninvasive light with high spatio-temporal resolution. However, relevant microscopic photochromic mechanisms at atomic level of these novel diarylethenes remain to be explored. Herein, we have employed static electronic structure calculations (MS-CASPT2//M06-2X, MS-CASPT2//SA-CASSCF) in combination with non-adiabatic dynamics simulations to explore the related photoinduced ring-closing reaction of a typical nucleoside-based diarylethene photoswitch, namely, PS-IV. Upon excitation with UV light, the open form PS-IV can be excited to a spectroscopically bright S1 state. After that, the molecule relaxes to the conical intersection region within 150 fs according to the barrierless relaxed scan of the C1-C6 bond, which is followed by an immediate deactivation to the ground state. The conical intersection structure is very similar to the ground state transition state structure which connects the open and closed forms of PS-IV, and therefore plays a crucial role in the photochromism of PS-IV. Besides, after analyzing the hopping structures, we conclude that the ring closing reaction cannot complete in the S1 state alone since all the C1-C6 distances of the hopping structures are larger than 2.00 Å. Once hopping to the ground state, the molecules either return to the original open form of PS-IV or produce the closed form of PS-IV within 100 fs, and the ring closing quantum yield is estimated to be 56%. Our present work not only elucidates the ultrafast photoinduced pericyclic reaction of the nucleoside-based diarylethene PS-IV, but can also be helpful for the future design of novel nucleoside-based diarylethenes with better performance.

Rational design of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide@fullerene van der Waals photovoltaic heterojunctions with time-domain density functional theory simulations.

van der Waals heterojunctions formed by transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and fullerenes are promising candidates for novel photovoltaic devices due to the excellent optoelectronic properties of both TMDs and fullerenes. However, relevant experimental and theoretical investigations remain scarce to the best of our knowledge. Herein, we have first employed static density functional theory (DFT) calculations in combination with time-domain density functional theory (TDDFT) based nonadiabatic dynamics simulations to rationally evaluate the photovoltaic performances of four TMD@fullerene heterostructures, i.e. WSe2@C60, WSe2@C70, MoTe2@C60 and MoTe2@C70, respectively. Our simulation results indicate that the C70-based heterostructures overall have better photoinduced electron transfer efficiencies than their C60-based counterparts, among which the performance of the WSe2@C70 heterostructure is the best and the electron transfer from WSe2 to C70 almost accomplishes within 1 ps. In addition, the large build-in potential of about 0.75 eV of WSe2@C70 is beneficial for the charge separation processes. Our present work not only selects the van der Waals TMD@fullerene heterojunctions that might have excellent photovoltaic properties, but also paves the way for the rational design of novel heterojunctions with better optoelectronic performances with DFT and TDDFT simulations in the future.

Ultrafast channel I and channel II charge generation processes at a nonfullerene donor-acceptor PTB7:PDI interface is crucial for its excellent photovoltaic performance.

Nonfullerene organic solar cells have received much attention in recent years due to their low cost, high absorption coefficient and excellent synthetic flexibility. However, the microscopic photoinduced dynamics at corresponding donor-acceptor interfaces remains unclear. In this work, we have firstly employed state-of-the-art TDDFT-based nonadiabatic dynamics simulations in combination with static electronic structure calculations to explore the ultrafast photoinduced dynamics at a typical nonfullerene donor-acceptor PTB7:PDI interface using a minimal model system (172 atoms). Upon excitation with specific wavelength of light, both PTB7 and PDI can be locally excited to generate |PTB7* and |PDI* excitons due to their high absorption ability and significant overlap in absorption spectrum. After that, these localized excitons gradually convert to charge transfer exciton |PTB7+PDI-, while another |PTB7-PDI+ charge transfer exciton is not involved in the whole process. Along with the exciton conversion, electron transfer from PTB7 to PDI (channel I charge generation) and the hole transfer from PDI to PTB7 (channel II charge generation) occurs simultaneously with time constants of 643 fs and 549 fs respectively. In the same time, D index that measures the centroid distance of electron and hole increases from 1.0 Å to 4.0 Å, which clearly reflects a charge transfer process at the interface. Our present work provides solid evidence that both channel I and channel II charge generation processes play important roles at PTB7:PDI interface, which could be helpful for the design of novel nonfullerene solar cells with better photovoltaic performance.

Application of the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery in coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a technical method for harvesting and using the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (DLCFA) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: Between January 2017 and January 2019, 40 patients (36 in the planed selection group and 4 in the temporary decision group) with mean age of 49.1 ± 7.5 years received DLCFA as an arterial conduit in CABG. In all patients, the DLCFA was successfully harvested via an anterior thigh incision. Depending on the location of the target vessel, the DLCFA was used as a free graft or a composite graft. RESULTS: Of the 44 patients in the planned selection group, DLCFA harvesting was abandoned in 8 patients because computed tomographic angiography revealed anatomical variation or stenosis of the superficial femoral artery. Of the 5 patients in the temporary decision group, harvesting was abandoned in 1 because of short length and thin caliber. On an average, 3.7 ± 0.9 distal anastomoses were created during CABG, with no adverse effects. The length of the harvested DLCFA was 9.9 ± 1.7 cm, with an average proximal lumen diameter of 3.4 ± 0.7 mm. The DLCFA was used as a free graft in 26 patients and as a "Y"-shape composite graft in 14 patients. Total arterial CABG was performed in 75% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The DLCFA is an alternative conduit for CABG. It can be harvested easily and safely. However, preoperative computed tomographic angiography examination is necessary for the smooth application of the DLCFA, and an appropriate strategy for graft establishment should be considered.

Microscopic mechanism of light-induced tetrazole-quinone 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition: a MS-CASPT2 theoretical investigation.

Recently, experimentalists have developed a green and efficient method to synthesize pyrazole-fused quinones through light-induced tetrazole-quinone 1,3-dipole cycloadditions. However, the underlying microscopic mechanisms remain to be clarified. In this work, we have employed several electronic structure calculation methods (MS-CASPT2, CASSCF, DFT) to systematically explore the microscopic mechanism of related light-induced reactions and deactivation pathways. Upon excitation with ultraviolet light, one of the original reactants 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-phenyl-2H-tetrazole (FPT) reaches its S1 excited state. After that, due to the ultrahigh energy and the small energy barrier, the FPT molecule breaks the N2-N3 and N4-C5 bonds sequentially, removing the nitrogen atom finally in the S1 state. Combined with the cleavage of the second N4-C5 bond, the system reaches its conical intersection region and deactivates ultrafast to the ground state, generating the active intermediate ((4-fluorophenyl)diazen-1-ium-1-ylidene) (phenyl)methanide (FPNI). Subsequently, the active intermediate FPIN can react with naphthoquinone in the ground state by overcoming an energy barrier of about 5.7 kcal mol-1, after which the 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-phenyl-1H-benzo[f]indazole-4,9(3aH, 9aH)-dione (FP2HQ) is formed. The FP2HQ can be oxidized to obtain the 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-phenyl-1H-benzo[f]indazole-4,9-dione (PFQ). Due to the high energy and small barrier, the entire reaction process can easily take place, which ultimately leads to the efficient reaction. Our present work not only explains the experimental mechanism in detail but can also be helpful for the future design of related photoinduced reactions with the aid of theoretical calculations.

Higher-Order Topological Insulators in Quasicrystals.

Current understanding of higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) is based primarily on crystalline materials. Here, we propose that HOTIs can be realized in quasicrystals. Specifically, we show that two distinct types of second-order topological insulators (SOTIs) can be constructed on the quasicrystalline lattices (QLs) with different tiling patterns. One is derived by using a Wilson mass term to gap out the edge states of the quantum spin Hall insulator on QLs. The other is the quasicrystalline quadrupole insulator (QI) with a quantized quadrupole moment. We reveal some unusual features of the corner states (CSs) in the quasicrystalline SOTIs. We also show that the quasicrystalline QI can be simulated by a designed electrical circuit, where the CSs can be identified by measuring the impedance resonance peak. Our findings not only extend the concept of HOTIs into quasicrystals but also provide a feasible way to detect the topological property of quasicrystals in experiments.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 is a negative regulator of human breast cancer metastasis by maintaining the balance of multiple genes and pathways.

BACKGROUND: Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A2/B1 is an important RNA-binding protein that affects the RNA processing, splicing, transport and stability of many genes. hnRNPA2/B1 is expressed during proliferation and metastasis of various cancer types and promotes such processes. However, the precise role and mechanism of hnRNPA2/B1 in breast cancer remain unclear. METHODS: The association of hnRNPA2/B1 with breast cancer metastasis was assessed using tissue chips, mouse models and publicly available data. The role and mechanism of hnRNPA2/B1 in breast cancer metastasis were studied in cell lines and mouse models. FINDINGS: In contrast to other cancer research findings, hnRNPA2/B1 expression was negatively correlated with breast cancer metastasis. hnRNPA2/B1 inhibited MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo. hnRNPA2/B1 knockout activated ERK-MAPK/Twist and GR-beta/TCF4 pathways but inhibited STAT3 and WNT/TCF4 signalling pathways. Profilin 2 (PFN2) promoted breast cancer cell migration and invasion, whereas hnRNPA2/B1 bound directly to the UAGGG locus in the 3'-untranslated region of PFN2 mRNA and reduced the stability of PFN2 mRNA. INTERPRETATION: Our data supported the role of hnRNPA2/B1 in tumour metastasis risk and survival prediction in patients with breast cancer. The inhibitory role of hnRNPA2/B1 in metastasis was a balance of downstream multiple genes and signalling pathways. PFN2 downregulation by hnRNPA2/B1 might partly explain the inhibitory mechanism of hnRNPA2/B1 in breast cancer metastasis. Therefore, hnRNPA2/B1 might be used as a new prognostic biomarker and valuable molecular target for breast cancer treatments.

Retracted: Long noncoding RNA MEG3 inhibits proliferation and migration but induces autophagy by regulation of Sirt7 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in glioma cells.

Glioma is a common primary brain tumor with high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) is a tumor suppressor in diverse cancer types. However, the role of MEG3 in glioma remains unclear. We aimed to explore the effects of MEG3 on U251 cells as well as the underlying mechanisms. U251 cells were stably transfected with different recombined plasmids to overexpress or silence MEG3. Effects of aberrantly expressed MEG3 on cell viability, migration, apoptosis, expressions of apoptosis-associated and autophagy-associated proteins, and phosphorylated levels of key kinases in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway were all evaluated. Then, messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of Sirt7 in cells abnormally expressing MEG3 were estimated. In addition, effects of abnormally expressed MEG3 and Sirt7 on U251 cells were determined to reveal the underlying mechanism of MEG3-associated modulation. Cell viability and migration were significantly reduced by MEG3 overexpression whereas cell apoptosis as well as Bax and cleaved caspase-3/-9 proteins were obviously induced. Beclin-1 and LC3-II/LC3-I were upregulated and p62 was downregulated in MEG3 overexpressed cells. In addition, the autophagy pharmacological inhibitor (3-methyladenine, 3-MA) affected the effect of MEG3 overexpression on cell proliferation. Furthermore, the phosphorylated levels of key kinases in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway were all reduced by MEG3 overexpression. Sirt7 was positively regulated by MEG3 expression, and effects of MEG3 overexpression on U251 cells were ameliorated by Sirt7 silence. MEG3 suppressed cell proliferation and migration but promoted autophagy in U251 cells through positively regulating Sirt7, involving in the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Detoxification and immunoprotection of Zn(II)-curcumin in juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) feed with aflatoxin B1.

Aflatoxins, which was produced by Aspergillus flavus or Aspergillus parasiticus fungi during grain and feed processing or storage, could cause severe health problems and reduction of yield during shrimp cultures. To evaluate toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and potential protective effect of Zn(II)-curcumin (Zn-CM), four experimental diets (control, 500 µg/kg AFB1, 500 µg/kg AFB1+100 mg/kg Zn-CM, 500 µg/kg AFB1+200 mg/kg Zn-CM) were formulated in quadruplicate to feed the shrimp for 8 weeks. The results revealed that AFB1 could induce significant decrease in final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG, %) and visible variations of the hepatopancreas structures in L.vannamei. Compared with AFB1 group, AFB1+100 mg/kg Zn-CM group significantly ameliorated the toxic effects of AFB1 on growth performance, while AFB1+100 mg/kg Zn-CM group had no effect on growth performance. Dietary AFB1+100 mg/kg Zn-CM enhanced phenoloxidase (PO) (P < 0.05) activity. Both dietary AFB1+100 mg/kg Zn-CM and AFB1+200 mg/kg Zn-CM reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity and glutathione (GSH) level, decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.05) in hepatopancreas compared with AFB1 group. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis demonstrated that Zn-CM could relieve the microvilli transformation and mitochondria accumulation reduction caused by AFB1. Consequently, the results demonstrated that suitable Zn-CM could mitigate the AFB1-induced hepatotoxicity and immunotoxicity effects on L.vannamei.

Relocation of NPM Affects the Malignant Phenotypes of Hepatoma SMMC-7721 Cells.

Nucleophosmin(NPM), heavily implicated in diverse solid tumors, is an important multifunctional protein mainly located in the nucleolus. Our previous study confirmed that NPM can also localize and accumulate in the cytoplasm of liver cancer cells. However, the role of cytoplasmic NPM (NPMc +) is unclear. Here, we showed that both nucleolar NPM and NPMc+ could promote cell proliferation, although the effect of NPMc+ was weaker than that of NPM. Cell adhesion ability of hepatoma cells was significantly reduced to a greater extent by NPMc+ expression. Nucleolar NPM enhanced cell migration and invasion, whereas NPMc+ impeded cell migration and invasion. The investigation of NPM interactional proteins by proteomic method demonstrated that the NPM was involved in multiple biological processes. By contrast, the interactional proteins of NPMc+ were mainly implicated in tRNA amino acylation regulation. The interactional network of NPMc+ was significantly small and simple. These results suggested that relocation of NPM altered its interactional network and consequently disturbed the primary functions, including cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, and invasion. NPM plays a promotional role in cancer and the reducing relocation may be a potential therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3225-3236, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To compare the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with different severities of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) versus normal controls.METHODS:This was an observational case-control study.Totally 79 patients presenting with snoring and daytime sleepiness who underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG) to determine OSAHS severity were recruited,and subsequently referred for ophthalmologic evaluation.The data including intraocular pressure (lOP),RNFL thickness etc was collected.RESULTS:A total of 73 subjects were recruited,including 53 patients with OSAHS and 20 normal control subjects.lOP was significantly higher for the moderate and severe OSAHS group than for the control group (both P＜0.05).The RNFL in the average and superior quadrants were significantly thinner for the moderate and severe OSAHS group than for the control group (both P＜0.05).AHI was negatively correlated with RNFL thickness in the superior quadrants,and with average RNFL thickness (r=-0.316,-0.205;both P＜0.01).Negative correlations were also identified between RNFL thickness in the superior quadrants and the ODI (r=-0.24,P =0.005).Positive correlations were identified between SaO2 on PSG and RNFL thickness in the superior quadrants (r=0.277,P=0.001).CONCLUSION:RNFL of the patients with OSAHS is thinned.Furthermore,it is observed that the greater severity of OSAHS,the greater the loss of RNFL.Among the four quadrants observed,the most affected quadrant was the superior quadrant.

Effect of cadmium-polluted diet on growth, salinity stress, hepatotoxicity of juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei): Protective effect of Zn(II)-curcumin.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the major transitional metals that have toxic effects on aquatic organisms. To investigate the effects of dietary cadmium on growth, salinity stress, hepatotoxicity in juvenile Pacific white shrimp (L. vannamei) and potential protective effect of Zn(II)-curcumin, five experimental diets (control, 100mg/kg Zn(II)-curcumin, 30mg/kg Cd, 30mg/kg Cd+100mg/kg Zn(II)-curcumin, 30mg/kg Cd+200mg/kg Zn(II)-curcumin) were formulated. The results showed that Cd at 30mg/kg induced significant increase in weight gain, specific growth rate and visible alterations to the hepatopancreas structures of L. vannamei. Compared with control diet, 100mg/kg Zn(II)-curcumin added diet had no effect on growth performance or feed utilization, while healthier hepatopancreas and less plasma ALT, AST production was found. Moreover, 200mg/kg dietary Zn(II)-curcumin significantly ameliorated the Cd induced hepatotoxicity while 100mg/kg dietary Zn(II)-curcumin slightly ameliorated. Cd accumulation in the whole body was decreasing and Metallothioneins like was increasing in hepatopancreas with increasing dietary Zn(II)-curcumin level. The shrimp fed with dietary Zn(II)-curcumin showed higher survival rate after acute salinity change. Therefore, it can be demonstrated that hepatotoxicity and hormesis could be induced by Cd when Cd levels were 30mg/kg, Zn(II)-curcumin could mitigate the effects of dietary Cd on L. vannamei.