Regulations of Exosomal-Transmitted AFAP1-AS1 LncRNA on Ovarian Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent ovarian cancer (OC) has high malignancy. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various malignancies, but their role in adolescent OC remains poorly understood. This study aims to assess the modulatory role of Exosome-transmitted lncRNA Actin filament-associated protein 1 Antisense RNA 1 (AFAP1-AS1) on the activity of OC cells. METHODS: We recruited a cohort of 40 adolescent patients diagnosed with OC and a control group of 40 healthy individuals. Serum samples were collected from both groups prior surgical intervention. Exosomes from peripheral blood and ascites were collected via differential centrifugation. The expression levels of AFAP1-AS1 in OC tissues and cell lines (IOSE-80, CAOV3, and SKOV3) were quantified using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The exosomal particle size and surface markers were characterized through nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown of AFAP1-AS1 was performed in IOSE-80, CAOV3, and SKOV3 cell lines. Functional assays, including wound-healing experiments and Transwell migration assays, were conducted to evaluate cellular migration and metastasis. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrate that the expression of AFAP1-AS1 is significantly upregulated in OC patients' serum exosomes and ascitic fluid, correlating with unfavorable pathological features such as advanced federation international of gynecology and obstetrics (FIGO) stage and larger tumor diameter. In-vitro experiments revealed that OC cell lines and primary human OC cells showed enhanced proliferation and metastasis when exposed to ascites-derived exosomes enriched in AFAP1-AS1. Importantly, we observed that AFAP1-AS1 can be transmitted to neighboring cells via exosomal pathways. Additionally, exosomes isolated from ascites treated with siRNA targeting AFAP1-AS1 can inhibit cellular migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide evidence for the oncogenic role of AFAP1-AS1, which is transmitted via exosomes. This finding has significant implications for understanding the molecular mechanisms of AFAP1-AS1 in the pathogenesis of adolescent ovarian cancer.

Optimal Subset Selection of Time-Series MODIS Images and Sample Data Transfer with Random Forests for Supervised Classification Modelling.

Nowadays, various time-series Earth Observation data with multiple bands are freely available, such as Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) datasets including 8-day composites from NASA, and 10-day composites from the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS). It is challenging to efficiently use these time-series MODIS datasets for long-term environmental monitoring due to their vast volume and information redundancy. This challenge will be greater when Sentinel 2-3 data become available. Another challenge that researchers face is the lack of in-situ data for supervised modelling, especially for time-series data analysis. In this study, we attempt to tackle the two important issues with a case study of land cover mapping using CCRS 10-day MODIS composites with the help of Random Forests' features: variable importance, outlier identification. The variable importance feature is used to analyze and select optimal subsets of time-series MODIS imagery for efficient land cover mapping, and the outlier identification feature is utilized for transferring sample data available from one year to an adjacent year for supervised classification modelling. The results of the case study of agricultural land cover classification at a regional scale show that using only about a half of the variables we can achieve land cover classification accuracy close to that generated using the full dataset. The proposed simple but effective solution of sample transferring could make supervised modelling possible for applications lacking sample data.

Expression of Cx43 and Pax3 proteins in the human placental villi and decidua during early pregnancy.

To study the expression and roles of Connexin43 (Cx43) and Paired-box3 (Pax3) proteins in the human Chorionic villi and decidua during early pregnancy, Cx43 and Pax3 protein expression in the human placental villi and decidua at 5-7 weeks of early pregnancy was studied by immunohistochemistry (SABC). Integrated optical density (IOD) of Cx43 and Pax3 protein expression was obtained by using special image analysis software. Cx43 and Pax3 proteins were expressed in all trophoblastic cells, cells of villi central axis and decidual cells. IOD of Cx43 and Pax3 proteins expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast decreased from 5 to 7 weeks, while Cx43 and Pax3 expressed in cytotrophoblast cells and decidual cells showed increased IOD during the same period. The differences between any two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). Cx43 and Pax3 proteins were expressed during differentiation and development of placental villous cells in early phases of pregnancy. We propose that Cx43 and Pax3 may participate in endometrial decidualization and the regulation of trophoblastic invasion and differentiation. It is likely that Cx43 and Pax3 play critical roles in cell proliferation and differentiation during the processes of chorionic villi initiation/development and placental morphogenesis.