MicroRNA-421 promotes proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer cells through targeting PDCD4.

Recent evidence highlights that microRNAs serve as crucial regulators of tumorigenesis, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present study was designed to investigate the expression profile, clinical significance and biological role of miR-421 in NSCLC. The results showed that miR-421 expression was markedly increased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Further experimental data indicated that knockdown of miR-421 significantly inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest in vitro. The migratory and invasive abilities of NSCLC cells were also attenuated following miR-421 knockdown. Furthermore, PDCD4 was identified as a direct target of miR-421, and its expression was inversely correlated with miR-421 expression in NSCLC tissues. PDCD4 also abrogated the oncogenic role of miR-421 in NSCLC cells. Collectively, our study revealed that miR-421 is significantly upregulated in NSCLC and might represent a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC patients.

[Effect of seasonal high temperature and drought on carbon flux of bamboo forest ecosystem in subtropical region].

The carbon flux of subtropical bamboo forest ecosystem was continuously measured using eddy covariance technique in Anji County of Zhejiang Province, China. The monthly net ecosystem productivity (NEP), ecosystem respiration (Re) and gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) data from 2011 to 2013 were selected to analyze the impacts of seasonal high temperature and drought on the carbon flux of bamboo forest ecosystem. The results showed that there were big differences among annual NEP of bamboo forest from 2011 to 2013. Because of the asynchronization of precipitation and heat, the seasonal high temperature and drought in July and August of 2013 caused significant decline in NEP by 59.9% and 80.0% when compared with the same months in 2011. Correlation analysis of the NEP, Re, GEP and environmental factors suggested that the atmosphere temperatures were significantly correlated with Re and GEP in 2011 and 2013 (P<0.05). However, to air and soil moisture, Re and GEP had different responses, that was, GEP was more vulnerable by the decrease of the soil moisture compared with Re. Besides, the raising of saturation vapour pressure promoted the Re modestly but inhibited the GEP, which was supposed to be the main reason for NEP decrease of bamboo forest ecosystem in Anji, from July to August in 2013.

[Characteristics of CO2 flux in an old growth mixed forest in Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang, China].

The old-growth, multiple ages, multispecies natural forest has played an important role in terrestrial ecosystem dynamics model and the global carbon budget. However, carbon fluxes of old forests in subtropical regions are rarely reported in China. In the present study, the CO2 flux of an old-growth subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest was observed using eddy covariance technique in Tianmu Mountain of Zhejiang Province. Based on the data sets which were observed from July 2013 to June 2014, the variations of net ecosystem exchange (NEE), eco-system respiration (Re), and gross ecosystem exchange (GEE) were analyzed. The results showed that during the study period, the monthly NEE all had a negative value (acted as a carbon sink) except for December and February (acted as a carbon source). The average monthly NEE was -61.52 g C · m⁻², the monthly carbon sequestration showed a double-peak curve and the maximum carbon sink was -149.40 g C · m⁻², which occurred in June while the maximum carbon source was 23.45 g C · m⁻², which occurred in February. The maximum of monthly mean CO2 flux occurred in June with a value of -0.98 mg · m⁻² · s⁻¹, while the minimum value occurred in December with a value of -0.35 mg · m⁻² · s⁻¹. The NEE at the time point of positive and negative conversion had typical seasonal characteristics. The yearly NEE, Re, and GEE were -738.18, 931.05 and -1669.23 g C · m⁻², respectively. Compared with other forest ecosystems located at the similar latitude, the carbon fixation of the old-growth forest was larger, likely due to its complicated structure within the canopy and the presence of young-growth regeneration and successional stands. This showed that other than in carbon neutral, old-growth forests of Tianmu Mountain in subtropical China had a strong capability in carbon sequestration.

Fabrication of multipotent poly-para-xylylene particles in controlled nanoscopic dimensions.

In this study, poly-para-xylylene-based multifunctional nanoparticles (PPX-NPs) were fabricated. Based on the solubility characteristics determined for asymmetrically substituted poly-para-xylylenes in polar solvents, well-dispersed nanocolloids with a controllable size ranging from 50 to 800nm were produced in solution by the displacement of the solvent (water). These size ranges were found to have acceptable cellular compatibility through examinations of cultured 3T3 fibroblasts and adipose-derived stem cells treated with the PPX-NPs. In addition, these nanoscale PPX-NPs exhibited versatile bioconjugation properties in that a variety of available functional groups can be adopted from their counterpart, thin-film poly-para-xylylenes, during the production of these nanoparticles. For instance, bifunctional PPX-NPs with maleimide and benzoyl moieties were produced to enable immobilization via a maleimide-thiol reaction concurrent with a photochemical reaction. A cleavable PPX-NP was also produced with a thiol-exchangeable surface property. Additionally, by performing electrohydrodynamic jetting of parallel polymer solutions of selected poly-para-xylylenes, Janus-type or multicompartment PPX-NPs were created. The PPX-NPs can potentially be used for various biomedical applications such as combined diagnostics and drug delivery, multiplexing of detection, multiple-drug loading, and the targeted delivery of biomolecules or drugs.