Quantitative analysis for the differences in vasculogenic activity and sensitivity to angiogenic stimulants between human glioma cells and normal endothelial cells.

Neovascularization is a histological feature of glioma, especially of glioblastoma (GBM), being associated with tumor invasiveness and poor prognosis. However, current anti-angiogenic therapies targeting vascular endothelial cells (ECs), has exhibited poor efficacy in some GBM cases. This may be at least partially attributed to the potential of glioblastoma cells to construct blood supply chain via vasculogenic mimicry or endothelial differentiation. This study aims to explore differences in vasculogenic activity and sensitivity to angiogenic stimulants between normal human ECs and glioma cells of different grades. We found that grade IV U87 GBM cells showed highly inducible vasculogenic activity either in the orthotopic xenograft model or under in vitro angiogenic stimulants as compared with grade II CHG5 glioma cells. The hypoxia mimetic more strongly induced in vitro vasculogenic capacity and endothelial marker expression of U87 GBM cells than the stimulation with multiple proangiogenic growth factors (vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor). In contrast, proangiogenic effect of hypoxia on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was weaker than on U87 GBM cells. In addition, it was also observed that the in vitro vasculogenic process of U87 cells started later but lasted longer than that of HUVECs. These results demonstrate that when compared with normal ECs, high-grade glioma cells basically possess weaker vasculogenic activity, but exhibit higher sensitivity and longer-lasting response to angiogenic stimulants, especially to hypoxia. This may be helpful to develop novel anti-angiogenic strategies targeting both vascular ECs and vasculogenic glioma cells.

Genetic polymorphisms of ARID5B rs7089424 and rs10994982 are associated with B-lineage ALL susceptibility in Chinese pediatric population.

BACKGROUND: Several ARID5B single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were confirmed to be significantly associated with the susceptibility of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) based on Caucasian populations in previous studies. Similar investigations in Asian populations were less. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between ARID5B SNPs rs7089424, rs10994982, and the risk of ALL in Chinese pediatric population. METHODS: A total of 190 pediatric ALL patients and 270 controls were enrolled in this study. PCR amplification combined with mass spectrometry were used to evaluate the genotypes of ARID5B rs7089424 and rs10994982. χ test was used in allele frequencies and genotype distributions of the SNPs for analyzing statistical differences between patients and controls. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the risk allele frequencies of ARID5B rs7089424 and rs10994982 between B-lineage ALL (B-ALL) patients and controls (rs7089424, G allele: p = 0.001; rs10994982, A allele: p = 0.000). The genotype distributions of ARID5B rs7089424 and rs10994982 were also statistically different in B-ALL patients compared with controls (rs7089424, p = 0.004; rs10994982, p = 0.001). Further analyzing the relevance of ARID5B rs7089424 and rs10994982 genotypes to clinical risk classification of ALL showed GG genotype of rs7089424 and AA genotype of rs10994982 were strikingly correlated with the medium-risk and low-risk groups of B-ALL. Finally, GG and GT genotypes of rs7089424 and AA genotype of rs10994982 seemed to be responsible for the hyperdiploid subtype susceptibility of childhood B-ALL. CONCLUSION: ARID5B rs7089424 and rs10994982 might serve as genetic susceptibility markers for B-ALL in Chinese pediatric population. Moreover, the two ARID5B SNPs are associated with the risk of B-hyperdiploid ALL, which had a better therapeutic response than other ALL subtypes.

The antitumor effect of static and extremely low frequency magnetic fields against nephroblastoma and neuroblastoma.

Certain magnetic fields (MF) have potential therapeutic antitumor effect whereas the underlying mechanism remains undefined. In this study, a well-characterized MF was applied to two common childhood malignancies, nephroblastoma and neuroblastoma. This MF has a time-averaged total intensity of 5.1 militesla (mT), and was generated as a superimposition of a static and an extremely low frequency (ELF) MF in 50 Hertz (Hz). In nephroblastoma and neuroblastoma cell lines including G401, CHLA255, and N2a, after MF exposure of 2 h per day, the cell viability decreased significantly after 2 days. After 3 days, inhibition rates of 17-22% were achieved in these cell lines. Furthermore, the inhibition rate was positively associated with exposure time. On the other hand, when using static MF only while maintaining the same time-averaged intensity of 5.1 mT, the inhibition rate was decreased. Thus, both time and combination of ELF field were positively associated with the inhibitory effect of this MF. Exposure to the field decreased cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Combinational use of MF together with chemotherapeutics cisplatin (DDP) was performed in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. In cell lines, combinational treatment further increased the inhibition rate compared with single use of either DDP or MF. In G401 nephroblastoma tumor model in nude mice, combination of MF and DDP resulted in significant decrease of tumor mass, and the side effect was limited in mild liver injury. MF exposure by itself did not hamper liver or kidney functions. In summary, the antitumor effect of an established MF against neuroblastoma and nephroblastoma is reported, and this field has the potential to be used in combination with DDP to achieve increased efficacy and reduce side effects in these two childhood malignancies. Bioelectromagnetics. 39:375-385, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Self-similar asymptotic optical beams in semiconductor waveguides doped with quantum dots.

The self-similar propagation of asymptotic optical beams in semiconductor waveguides doped with quantum dots is reported. The possibility of controlling the shape of output asymptotic optical beams is demonstrated. The analytical results are confirmed by numerical simulations. We give a possible experimental protocol to generate the obtained asymptotic parabolic beams in realistic waveguides. As a generalization to the present work, the self-similar propagation of asymptotic optical beams is proposed in a power-law nonlinear medium.

New dating of the Homo erectus cranium from Lantian (Gongwangling), China.

The Homo erectus cranium from Gongwangling, Lantian County, Shaanxi Province is the oldest fossil hominin specimen from North China. It was found in 1964 in a layer below the Jaramillo subchron and was attributed to loess (L) L15 in the Chinese loess-palaeosol sequence, with an estimated age of ca. 1.15 Ma (millions of years ago). Here, we demonstrate that there is a stratigraphical hiatus in the Gongwangling section immediately below loess 15, and the cranium in fact lies in palaeosol (S) S22 or S23, the age of which is ca. 1.54-1.65 Ma. Closely spaced palaeomagnetic sampling at two sections at Gongwangling and one at Jiacun, 10 km to the north, indicate that the fossil layer at Gongwangling and a similar fossil horizon at Jiacun were deposited shortly before a short period of normal polarity above the Olduvai subchron. This is attributed to the Gilsa Event that has been dated elsewhere to ca. 1.62 Ma. Our investigations thus demonstrate that the Gongwangling cranium is slightly older than ca. 1.62 Ma, probably ca. 1.63 Ma, and significantly older than previously supposed. This re-dating now makes Gongwangling the second oldest site outside Africa (after Dmanisi) with cranial remains, and causes substantial re-adjustment in the early fossil hominin record in Eurasia.

Rapid and sensitive identification of glycoprotein H genotypes in clinical human cytomegalovirus samples.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common pathogen that causes persistent infections in immune deficient patients and results in significant morbidity and mortality, particularly among transplant recipients and children. Different HCMV glycoprotein H (gH) genotypes may cause different diseases and affect the severity of these diseases. To develop a sensitive quantitative real-time PCR assay that could rapidly distinguish between two HCMV gH genotypes, primers were designed to target the conserved region of the gH gene. gH1 and gH2 probes were designed to target the two variable regions. Standard HCMV strains (AD169 and TOWNE) and 203 clinical urine samples from HCMV infected children were used for the present study. Based on the primer-probe set used to detect the target gH gene segment of HCMV, our quantitative real-time PCR assay specifically discriminated between HCMV gH1 and gH2 with a detection limit of approximately 10(2) viral copies/ml. Among the 203 clinical urine samples tested, 145 were gH1 positive, 56 were gH2 positive, and 2 were positive for both. Thus, we developed a gH gene-based real time-PCR method that could rapidly, stably, and specifically distinguish between two HCMV gH genotypes. We found HCMV gH1 to be common among children examined in Zhejiang, China.

Self-similar propagation and asymptotic optical waves in nonlinear waveguides.

The properties of self-similar optical waves propagating in a tapered cubic-quintic nonlinear waveguide are investigated. Using a lens-type transformation we obtain the exact analytical self-similar solutions which describe the propagation of bright-shaped solitons, dark-shaped solitons, kink-shaped solitons, and antikink-shaped solitons. The stability of the solutions is examined by numerical simulations such that stable bright solitons are found. Beyond the exact analytical solutions, asymptotic optical waves are also found by employing a direct ansatz. These waves possess linear chirps and can propagate self-similarly. The possibility of controlling the shape of output asymptotic optical waves is demonstrated. The analytical results are confirmed by numerical simulations. Finally, we investigate the generation and propagation properties of self-similar optical waves in a quintic nonlinear medium.

[Detecting phospho-signaling protein of bone marrow leukemia cells by phospho-signaling flow cytometry].

The purpose of this study was to establish the phospho-specific flow cytometry (phospho-flow) to detect the phosphorylated signaling proteins of leukemia cells and to evaluate its useful value in leukemia study. The bone marrow of leukemia children was collected, and treated by phospho-flow of extracted mononuclear cells (MNC) and phospho-flow of directly fixed bone marrow (BM) respectively. In phospho-flow of extracted MNC, the MNC extracted from BM were fixed and permeabilized, then were cultured with P-AKT and P-ERK1/2, finally were analyzed by flow cytometry. In phospho-flow of directly fixed BM, the BM was treated with fixation/lysis buffer and 90% methanol, then were incubated with the surface CD antibody, P-AKT and P-ERK1/2, finally the treated BM cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The results showed that the positive rates of P-AKT and P-ERK1/2 in MNC treated by phospho-flow of extracted MNC of 26 leukemia children were 46.2% and 30.8% respectively, while the positive rates of P-AKT and P-ERK1/2 in BM treated by phospho-flow of directly fixed BM were 50.0% and 38.5% respectively. The comparison of positive rates of P-AKT and P-ERK1/2 between the 2 treatment protocol showed no difference (p > 0.05). It is concluded that the phospho-flow of directly fixed BM established by our laboratory can be used to analyze the signaling proteins of leukemia cells.

Analytical solitary-wave solutions of the generalized nonautonomous cubic-quintic nonlinear Schrödinger equation with different external potentials.

A large family of analytical solitary wave solutions to the generalized nonautonomous cubic-quintic nonlinear Schrödinger equation with time- and space-dependent distributed coefficients and external potentials are obtained by using a similarity transformation technique. We use the cubic nonlinearity as an independent parameter function, where a simple procedure is established to obtain different classes of potentials and solutions. The solutions exist under certain conditions and impose constraints on the coefficients depicting dispersion, cubic and quintic nonlinearities, and gain (or loss). We investigate the space-quadratic potential, optical lattice potential, flying bird potential, and potential barrier (well). Some interesting periodic solitary wave solutions corresponding to these potentials are then studied. Also, properties of a few solutions and physical applications of interest to the field are discussed. Finally, the stability of the solitary wave solutions under slight disturbance of the constraint conditions and initial perturbation of white noise is discussed numerically; the results reveal that the solitary waves can propagate in a stable way under slight disturbance of the constraint conditions and the initial perturbation of white noise.

[Change of CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells and NK Cells in peripheral blood of children with acute leukemia and its possible significance in tumor immunity].

This study was purposed to investigate the changes of CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells and NK cells in peripheral blood of acute leukemia children at different stages, the function of immune system and the possible roles of the CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells as well as NK cells in leukemia immunity. The number and proportion of CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells and NK cells were detected by flow cytometry in the peripheral blood of 53 acute leukemia children, including 25 patients in new diagnosis and 28 patients in continuous complete remission (CCR), and were compared with that of 20 normal children. The results indicated that the mean proportion of CD4(+) CD25(+) CD127(+) in CD4(+) T cells of peripheral blood in newly diagnosed patients, patients with CCR and normal children were (9.55 +/- 2.41)%, (8.54 +/- 2.51)% and (6.25 +/- 0.85)% respectively, the mean proportions of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(+) in newly diagnosed patients and patients with CCR were higher than that in normal children, the mean proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(+) in newly diagnosed patients were higher than that in patients with CCR (p < 0.05). At the same time, the NK cell count in patients with acute leukaemia decreased as compared with normal control, while after achieving CCR, the NK cell count in patients were also less than that in normal control (4.11 +/- 3.87% and 10.41 +/- 7.20% vs 14.06 +/- 5.95%, p < 0.05). It is concluded that the application of CD4(+), CD25(+) and CD127(+) to detect regulatory T cells is a simple, reproductive and accurate method, and the CD4(+) CD25(+) CD127(+) T cells can better reflect the proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells. The increase of regulatory T cells and decrease of NK cells in pediatric patients with acute leukemia indicate that the function of NK cells may be depressed. Treg T cells play a role in occurrence and development of leukemia, and are involved in down-regulating NK cell function.

Soliton solutions for two nonlinear partial differential equations using a Darboux transformation of the Lax pairs.

Two Darboux transformations of the (1+1) -dimensional Wu-Zhang (WZ) equation and the two-component Camassa-Holm (2CH) system with the reciprocal transformation are obtained. One-loop and two-loop soliton solutions and multisoliton(like) solutions of the 2CH system are obtained by using the Darboux transformations and selecting different seed solutions of the corresponding equations. The bidirectional soliton solutions of the (1+1) -dimensional WZ equation are also obtained. The interactions of two-soliton head-on and overtaking collisions for the WZ equation and the evolution of the two-soliton(-like) solutions for the 2CH system are studied.