Preliminary Investigation of Thermoelectric Electromotive Force Oscillation of NiCr/NiSi Thin Film Thermocouple in Dynamic Calibration.

In order to reveal the dynamic response characteristic of thin film thermocouples (TFTCs), the nichrome/nisil (NiCr/NiSi) TFTCs are prepared onto the glass substrate. With short pulse infrared laser system, NiCr/NiSi TFTCs are dynamically calibrated. The thermoelectric electromotive force (TEF) curves of NiCr/NiSi TFTCs are recorded by the memory hicorder system, which could reflect TEF signals with resolution ratio in nanosecond and microvolt, simultaneously. With increasing laser energy from 15.49 to 29.59 mJ, TEF curves display more and more violent oscillation, even negative value. The results show that the bounce of thermal energy happens between two interfaces of TFTCs because the thermal conductivity of glass and air is significantly lower than that of NiSi/NiCr TFTCs. The bounce of thermal energy results in the obvious decrease of nNiCr and nNiSi , as well as oscillation of TEF. For laser energy in 29.59 mJ, the bounce of thermal energy in NiCr film could result in nNiCr < nNiSi . Then, TEF value appears abnormal negative value. Based on the results, the complex thermal energy transport process in TFTCs dynamic calibration is revealed, which results in the oscillation of thermal energy and TEF signal.

MT1 and MT2 Melatonin Receptors: A Therapeutic Perspective.

Melatonin, or 5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine, is synthesized and released by the pineal gland and locally in the retina following a circadian rhythm, with low levels during the day and elevated levels at night. Melatonin activates two high-affinity G protein-coupled receptors, termed MT1 and MT2, to exert beneficial actions in sleep and circadian abnormality, mood disorders, learning and memory, neuroprotection, drug abuse, and cancer. Progress in understanding the role of melatonin receptors in the modulation of sleep and circadian rhythms has led to the discovery of a novel class of melatonin agonists for treating insomnia, circadian rhythms, mood disorders, and cancer. This review describes the pharmacological properties of a slow-release melatonin preparation (i.e., Circadin®) and synthetic ligands (i.e., agomelatine, ramelteon, tasimelteon), with emphasis on identifying specific therapeutic effects mediated through MT1 and MT2 receptor activation. Discovery of selective ligands targeting the MT1 or the MT2 melatonin receptors may promote the development of novel and more efficacious therapeutic agents.

Biological roles of microRNA-140 in tumor growth, migration, and metastasis of osteosarcoma in vivo and in vitro.

The objective of this study was to explore the biological roles of microRNA-140 (miR-140) in tumor growth, migration, and metastasis of osteosarcoma (OS) in vivo and in vitro. Between 2007 and 2014, 47 cases of OS samples and normal bone tissue samples adjacent to OS were selected from our hospital. Tissue biopsies from OS patients were used to measure miR-140 levels to obtain a correlation between clinicopathological features and miR-140 expression. In vitro, MG63 human osteosarcoma cells were divided into four groups: blank group, miR-140 mimic group, miR-140 inhibitor group, and negative control (NC; empty plasmid) group. qRT-PCR was used to detect miR-140 expression, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to detect cell proliferation, flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle distribution, and scratch migration assay was used to detect cell migration. In vivo, the relative expression of miR-140 level in OS tissue was lower than that in the adjacent normal bone tissue. miR-140 expression is inversely correlated with tumor size, Enneking stage, and tumor metastasis. In vitro, compared with blank group and NC group, relative miR-140 expression was increased, cell proliferation was inhibited, cell population in G0/G1 phase was increased, cell population in G2/M phase and S phases and proliferation index (PI), and cell migration distance were decreased in the miR-140 mimic group, but the relative expression and all the cell indexes were found opposite trend in the miR-140 inhibitor group. In conclusion, in vivo and vitro findings provided evidence that miR-140 could inhibit the growth, migration, and metastasis of OS cells.

Cervicothoracic spinal cord compression caused by IgG4-related sclerosing pachymeningitis: a case report and literature review.

PURPOSE: To report a case of cervicothoracic spinal cord compression caused by IgG4-related sclerosing pachymeningitis (IgG4-RSP). METHODS: A 43-year-old male patient presented with 'neck pain for 15 days, exacerbated accompanying motor and sensory dysfunction of lower limbs with bowel and bladder dysfunction for 4 days' was admitted to our department. Combined with the history of 'acupuncture treatment', MRI results and rapid-developing progression, we considered the great possibilities of spinal cord compression by intradural hematoma and timely performed the emergency operation of cervical double-door laminoplasty and thoracic decompression with internal fixation. RESULTS: After combined therapy of dexamethasone, mannitol and neurotrophic drugs, sensory recovery of lower limbs started at the fifth day after operation and the sensory function became normal at the fourteenth day after operation with still complete loss of muscle strength. Pathological examination strongly suggested the diagnosis of IgG4-related sclerosing pachymeningitis (IgG4-RSP). CONCLUSIONS: IgG4-related sclerosing pachymeningitis (IgG4-RSP) is a newly recognized disease. This case of cervicothoracic spinal cord compression caused by IgG4-related sclerosing pachymeningitis (IgG4-RSP) has never been reported in China with merely three case reports worldwide. Prompt surgical decompression is recommended and pathological examination is essential for diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.

PMBC: a manually curated database for prognostic markers of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is notorious for its high mortality and heterogeneity, resulting in different therapeutic responses. Classical biomarkers have been identified and successfully commercially applied to predict the outcome of breast cancer patients. Accumulating biomarkers, including non-coding RNAs, have been reported as prognostic markers for breast cancer with the development of sequencing techniques. However, there are currently no databases dedicated to the curation and characterization of prognostic markers for breast cancer. Therefore, we constructed a curated database for prognostic markers of breast cancer (PMBC). PMBC consists of 1070 markers covering mRNAs, lncRNAs, miRNAs and circRNAs. These markers are enriched in various cancer- and epithelial-related functions including mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling. We mapped the prognostic markers into the ceRNA network from starBase. The lncRNA NEAT1 competes with 11 RNAs, including lncRNAs and mRNAs. The majority of the ceRNAs in ABAT belong to pseudogenes. The topology analysis of the ceRNA network reveals that known prognostic RNAs have higher closeness than random. Among all the biomarkers, prognostic lncRNAs have a higher degree, while prognostic mRNAs have significantly higher closeness than random RNAs. These results indicate that the lncRNAs play important roles in maintaining the interactions between lncRNAs and their ceRNAs, which might be used as a characteristic to prioritize prognostic lncRNAs based on the ceRNA network. PMBC renders a user-friendly interface and provides detailed information about individual prognostic markers, which will facilitate the precision treatment of breast cancer. PMBC is available at the following URL: http://www.pmbreastcancer.com/.

Melatonin potentiates running wheel-induced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of adult C3H/HeN mice hippocampus.

This study assessed the role of melatonin in modulating running wheel(RW)-induced hippocampal neurogenesis in adult C3H/HeN mice. Chronic melatonin (0.02 mg/mL, oral for 12 days) treatment did not affect cell proliferation or cell survival determined by the number of BrdU-positive cells in dentate gyrus of mice with access to fixed wheel (FW). RW activity significantly increased cell proliferation [RW (n = 8) versus FW (n = 6): dorsal, 199 ± 18 versus 125 ± 12, P < 0.01; ventral, 211 ± 15 versus 123 ± 13, P < 0.01] and newborn cell survival [RW (n = 7) versus FW (n = 8): dorsal, 45 ± 8.5 versus 15 ± 1.8, P < 0.01; ventral, 48 ± 8.1 versus 15 ± 1.4)] in the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus. Oral melatonin treatment further potentiated RW activity-induced cell survival in both areas of the dentate gyrus [melatonin (n = 10) versus vehicle (n = 7): dorsal, 63 ± 5.4 versus 45 ± 8.5 P < 0.05; ventral, 75 ± 7.9 versus 48 ± 8.1, P < 0.01] and neurogenesis [melatonin (n = 8) versus vehicle (n = 8): dorsal, 46 ± 3.4, versus 34 ± 4.5, P < 0.05; ventral, 41 ± 3.4 versus 25 ± 2.4, P < 0.01]. We conclude that melatonin potentiates RW-induced hippocampal neurogenesis by enhancing neuronal survival suggesting that the combination of physical exercise and melatonin may be an effective treatment for diseases affecting the hippocampus neurogenesis.

The impact of carbon-biased technological progress on carbon haze coordinated governance: insights from China.

Superficial or cosmetic measures are unlikely to solve the complex challenges of carbon haze governance. Carbon-biased technological progress plays a significant role in low-carbon technology and economic sustainable development. This study introduces carbon resources as a production factor in the transcendental logarithmic function to calculate the biased technological progress index of 30 provinces in China between 2010 and 2020. Subsequently, this study constructs the spatial Durbin model to empirically investigate the spatial spillover effect of carbon-biased technology progress on carbon haze coordinated governance. The findings reveal that China's technological progress is primarily characterized by carbon bias, particularly in terms of labor-using carbon-saving technological progress and capital-using carbon-saving technological progress. Additionally, both levels of carbon haze coordinated governance and carbon-biased technological progress have significant spatial agglomeration characteristics. Moreover, the carbon-biased technological progress can facilitate synergy degree of carbon haze governance through energy-saving effects but can also hinder the carbon haze coordinated governance through rebound effects. Therefore, it is imperative to improve labor productivity, augment green capital investment, and stimulate the induction of technological progress towards carbon saving to achieve sustainable and high-quality economic development. The primary contribution is identifying the uncertainty surrounding the impact of carbon-biased technological progress on coordinated governance of carbon haze, while also providing theoretical explanations for the influence channels of carbon-biased technological progress.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the pancreatic neck misdiagnosed as neuroendocrine tumor: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a relatively rare tumor. The global incidence of IMT is less than 1%. There is no specific clinical manifestation. It usually occurs in the lungs, but the pancreas is not the predilection site. CASE SUMMARY: We present a case of a male patient, 51 years old, who was diagnosed with a pancreatic neck small mass on ultrasound one year ago during a physical examination. As he had no clinical symptoms and the mass was relatively small, he did not undergo treatment. However, the mass was found to be larger on review, and he was referred to our hospital. Since the primal clinical diagnosis was pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, the patient underwent surgical treatment. However, the case was confirmed as pancreatic IMT by postoperative pathology. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic IMT is relatively rare and easily misdiagnosed. We can better under-stand and correctly diagnose this disease by this case report.

Enhancing urban ecological resilience through integrated green technology progress: evidence from Chinese cities.

The effective resolution of environmental pollution caused by carbon haze through coordinated progress in green technology and urban ecological resilience is a crucial approach towards promoting sustainable development in Chinese cities. In this study, panel data from 281 cities in China from 2007 to 2019 were analyzed using the entropy method and the coupling coordination degree model to determine the coupling coordination degree between green technology progress and urban ecological resilience. The coordinated influence model and threshold model were applied to investigate coupled coordination types and influencing factors. Results indicate that green technology progress levels have shown an upward trend with increasing volatility from east to west and decreasing volatility with urban scale expansion. Ecological resilience levels have also steadily increased, albeit at a reduced rate. The coupling coordination degree of green technology progress and urban ecological resilience has evolved overall from low to high levels; however, the coupling coordination type has regressed to some extent, with most regions exhibiting lagging green technological progress. Pressure resilience has a positive impact on the coupling coordination degree, while state resilience and response resilience have a negative impact. Green technology progress has a dual threshold effect on the coupling coordination degree. By exploring the coupling and coordination mechanism between green technology progress and urban ecological resilience, this study not only facilitates collaborative management of pollutants and greenhouse gases in cities but also provides a comprehensive reference for the construction of an institutional system for collaborative carbon and haze management.

Correlation of MMP-9 and p53 protein expression with prognosis in metastatic spinal tumor of lung cancer.

The aim of the study was to compare the protein expression of MMP-9 and p53 and examine their correlation with prognosis in lung cancer metastatic spinal tumor. Tissue samples were obtained from 30 cases of para-cancerous tissue (group I), 75 cases of non-metastatic lung cancer tissue (group II) and 100 cases of metastatic spinal tumor tissue of lung cancer (group III). The protein expression of MMP-9 and p53 was detected by immunohistochemistry and was present in all three groups. The positive rate for MMP-9 was 20, 67 and 83%, respectively. There was a significant difference among the three groups (p<0.05). The positive rate for p53 was 16.7, 78.7 and 92%, respectively. There was a highly significant difference among the three groups (p<0.01). There was a positive correlation between the protein expressions of MMP-9 and p53 (Spearman's correlation coefficient r=0.351, p<0.05). The positive or negative expression of the two proteins was statistically significant (p<0.05) for 5-year survival. The expression of MMP-9 and p53 proteins in metastatic spinal tumors of lung cancer showed increasing trends, and the expression of MMP-9 and p53 proteins was significantly higher compared to non-metastatic lung cancer tissue and para-cancerous tissue samples. This likely was associated with the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer to the spine. Survival analysis suggested that the overexpression of p53 and MMP-9 were correlated with poor prognosis.

Senegenin inhibits neuronal apoptosis after spinal cord contusion injury.

Senegenin has been shown to inhibit neuronal apoptosis, thereby exerting a neuroprotective effect. In the present study, we established a rat model of spinal cord contusion injury using the modified Allen's method. Three hours after injury, senegenin (30 mg/g) was injected into the tail vein for 3 consecutive days. Senegenin reduced the size of syringomyelic cavities, and it substantially reduced the number of apoptotic cells in the spinal cord. At the site of injury, Bax and Caspase-3 mRNA and protein levels were decreased by senegenin, while Bcl-2 mRNA and protein levels were increased. Nerve fiber density was increased in the spinal cord proximal to the brain, and hindlimb motor function and electrophysiological properties of rat hindlimb were improved. Taken together, our results suggest that senegenin exerts a neuroprotective effect by suppressing neuronal apoptosis at the site of spinal cord injury.

Transplantation of erythropoietin gene-modified neural stem cells improves the repair of injured spinal cord.

The protective effects of erythropoietin on spinal cord injury have not been well described. Here, the eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1 human erythropoietin was transfected into rat neural stem cells cultured in vitro. A rat model of spinal cord injury was established using a free falling object. In the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group, transfected neural stem cells were injected into the rat subarachnoid cavity, while the neural stem cells group was injected with non-transfected neural stem cells. Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F12 medium was injected into the rats in the spinal cord injury group as a control. At 1-4 weeks post injury, the motor function in the rat lower limbs was best in the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group, followed by the neural stem cells group, and lastly the spinal cord injury group. At 72 hours, compared with the spinal cord injury group, the apoptotic index and Caspase-3 gene and protein expressions were apparently decreased, and the bcl-2 gene and protein expressions were noticeably increased, in the tissues surrounding the injured region in the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group. At 4 weeks, the cavities were clearly smaller and the motor and somatosensory evoked potential latencies were remarkably shorter in the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group and neural stem cells group than those in the spinal cord injury group. These differences were particularly obvious in the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group. More CM-Dil-positive cells and horseradish peroxidase-positive nerve fibers and larger amplitude motor and somatosensory evoked potentials were found in the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group and neural stem cells group than in the spinal cord injury group. Again, these differences were particularly obvious in the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group. These data indicate that transplantation of erythropoietin gene-modified neural stem cells into the subarachnoid cavity to help repair spinal cord injury and promote the recovery of spinal cord function better than neural stem cell transplantation alone. These findings may lead to significant improvements in the clinical treatment of spinal cord injuries.

Neuroprotective effects of electroacupuncture on early- and late-stage spinal cord injury.

Previous studies have shown that the neurite growth inhibitor Nogo-A can cause secondary neural damage by activating RhoA. In the present study, we hypothesized that electroacupuncture promotes neurological functional recovery after spinal cord injury by inhibiting RhoA expression. We established a rat model of acute spinal cord injury using a modification of Allen's method. The rats were given electroacupuncture treatment at Dazhui (Du14), Mingmen (Du4), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Huantiao (GB30), Zusanli (ST36) and Kunlun (BL60) acupoints with a sparse-dense wave at a frequency of 4 Hz for 30 minutes, once a day, for a total of 7 days. Seven days after injury, the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor scale and inclined plane test scores were significantly increased, the number of apoptotic cells in the spinal cord tissue was significantly reduced, and RhoA and Nogo-A mRNA and protein expression levels were decreased in rats given electroacupuncture compared with rats not given electroacupuncture. Four weeks after injury, pathological tissue damage in the spinal cord at the site of injury was alleviated, the numbers of glial fibrillary acidic protein- and neurofilament 200-positive fibers were increased, the latencies of somatosensory-evoked and motor-evoked potentials were shortened, and their amplitudes were increased in rats given electroacupuncture. These findings suggest that electroacupuncture treatment reduces neuronal apoptosis and decreases RhoA and Nogo-A mRNA and protein expression at the site of spinal cord injury, thereby promoting tissue repair and neurological functional recovery.

Transplantation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene-transfected Schwann cells for repairing spinal cord injury.

Transfection of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene has been shown to increase cell proliferation and enhance tissue repair. In the present study, hTERT was transfected into rat Schwann cells. A rat model of acute spinal cord injury was established by the modified free-falling method. Retrovirus PLXSN was injected at the site of spinal cord injury as a vector to mediate hTERT gene-transfected Schwann cells (1 × 10(10)/L; 10 µL) or Schwann cells (1 × 10(10)/L; 10 µL) without hTERT gene transfection. Between 1 and 4 weeks after model establishment, motor function of the lower limb improved in the hTERT-transfected group compared with the group with non-transfected Schwann cells. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction results revealed that the number of apoptotic cells, and gene expression of aquaporin 4/9 and matrix metalloproteinase 9/2 decreased at the site of injury in both groups; however, the effect improved in the hTERT-transfected group compared with the Schwann cells without hTERT transfection group. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, PKH26 fluorescent labeling, and electrophysiological testing demonstrated that compared with the non-transfected group, spinal cord cavity and motor and sensory evoked potential latencies were reduced, while the number of PKH26-positive cells and the motor and sensory evoked potential amplitude increased at the site of injury in the hTERT-transfected group. These findings suggest that transplantation of hTERT gene-transfected Schwann cells repairs the structure and function of the injured spinal cord.

Role of MT1 melatonin receptors in methamphetamine-induced locomotor sensitization in C57BL/6 mice.

RATIONALE: Melatonin modifies physiological and behavioral responses to psychostimulants, with the MT1 and MT2 melatonin receptors specifically implicated in facilitating methamphetamine (METH)-induced sensitization in melatonin-proficient mice. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to assess differences in locomotor sensitization after a single dose of methamphetamine in low-melatonin-expressing C57BL/6 wild-type and MT1 receptor knockout (MT1KO) mice, comparing with melatonin-expressing C3H/HeN mice. METHODS: Mice received a vehicle or methamphetamine (1.2 mg/kg, i.p.) pretreatment (day 1) during the light (ZT5-9) or dark (ZT 19-21) periods in novel test arenas. Locomotor sensitization was assessed by methamphetamine challenge after an eight-day abstinence (day 9). TH protein expression was evaluated by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Methamphetamine pretreatment induced statistically significant locomotor sensitization upon challenge after eight-day abstinence in C3H and C57 wild-type mice during the light period. The magnitude of sensitization in C57 mice was diminished in the dark period and completely abrogated in MT1KO mice. No differences were observed in tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Additional exposures to the test arenas after methamphetamine pretreatment (nights 2-6) enhanced sensitization. CONCLUSIONS: Deletion of the MT1 melatonin receptor abolishes sensitization induced by a single METH pretreatment. The magnitude of sensitization is also altered by time of day and contextual cues. We conclude that the MT1 melatonin receptor is emerging as a novel target of therapeutic intervention for drug abuse disorders.

MRI diagnosis of intradural extramedullary tumors.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) manifestation of intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors to improve the imaging diagnostic level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2005 to December 2012, a retrospective analysis of the MRI examination was performed on 108 patients with IDEM tumors confirmed by surgical pathology postoperatively in our hospital. According to the pathological classification; the gender, age, location, size, foraminal state extension, signal intensity (compared with the spinal cord), and enhancement were recorded and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 108 cases (111 lesions) were reported; 69 (70 lesions), 31 (31 lesions), three (five lesions), four (four lesions), and one (one lesion) of which were schwannoma, meningioma, neurofibroma, teratoma, and metastatic tumor, respectively. MRI manifestations of different IDEM tumors have certain specificities. CONCLUSION: MRI is the preferred examination method for to diagnose IDEM tumors and provide a reliable imaging basis for clinical treatment and prognosis judgment.

Evaluation of hemilaminectomy use in microsurgical resection of intradural extramedullary tumors.

The aim of this study was to investigate the microsurgical techniques of hemilaminectomy, used in the excision of intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors, and to illustrate its clinical effects. Clinical data obtained from 16 patients (seven males, nine females) with IDEM tumors, which were treated at the China-Japan Union Hospital between January 2009 and December 2011, were retrospectively analyzed. The mean age of patients was 49 years, ranging from 34-72 years. The IDEM tumors were located cervically in three patients, thoracically in four patients and at the thoracico-lumbar level in nine patients. Fourteen patients underwent hemilaminectomy, while two patients were treated with laminectomy during surgery. The clinical effect of hemilaminectomy was evaluated based on Frankel grade. The mean bleeding volume was 300 ml (range, 150-500 ml) and the mean duration of surgery was 140 min (range, 90-200 min). The maximum and minimum tumor volumes were 4×1.5×1.5 cm and 1.5×1.0×1.0 cm, respectively. Neurinoma was evident in 11 patients, meningioma in four cases and neurofibroma in one case. Three cases improved from Frankel grade B to C, five cases improved from grade C to D and seven cases improved from grade D to grade E. All patients were followed up for a period of 6-40 months, with a mean follow-up time of 23.7 months. None of the patients exhibited tumor recurrence or spinal instability. The mean bleeding volume of patients that underwent hemilaminectomy and laminectomy was 275 and 475 ml, respectively. The advantages of hemilaminectomy are minor invasion, less bleeding and retention of spinal stability. In general, hemilaminectomy for the excision of IDEM tumors has a satisfactory outcome.