Correlation of ultrasound features with Bcl-2 protein expression in basal cell carcinomas (BCCs).

BACKGROUND: The expression of the Bcl-2 protein is frequently observed in basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), making it a significant biological marker and potential therapeutic target. Skin ultrasonography offers a noninvasive means of obtaining anatomical information about cutaneous tumors. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between ultrasound features and Bcl-2 expression in BCCs, to provide a reference for developing pharmacological treatment plans. METHODS: According to the Bcl-2 protein expression, 74 BCCs confirmed by surgical pathology were divided into high Bcl-2 expression BCCs (HB-BCCs) and low Bcl-2 expression BCCs (LB-BCCs). Preoperative lesion ultrasound features were analyzed retrospectively based on Liang's criteria, which included the following features: shape, surface, keratinization, base, infiltration level, internal echogenicity, distribution of hyperechoic spots, posterior echogenic changes, internal Doppler signal, and lesion size (maximum diameter and infiltration depth). The differences of two groups were compared using a chi-square test or a paired t-test. RESULTS: Based on ultrasound features, cystic areas were more frequent in LB-BCCs (χ2 = 7.015, P = .008). Furthermore, LB-BCCs exhibited greater infiltration depth than HB-BCCs (4.86 ± 2.12 mm vs. 2.72 ± 1.40 mm, P = .000), had a higher propensity to infiltrate the subcutaneous tissue (χ2 = 12.422, P = .002), and displayed a more abundant internal Doppler signal within the lesions (χ2 = 24.696, P = .000). Conversely, maximum diameter of the lesions, shape, surface, keratinization, base, hyperechoic spots distribution, and posterior echogenic changes of the lesions did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound features are correlated with Bcl-2 protein expression level in BCCs. LB-BCCs show greater infiltration depth, subcutaneous infiltration, more cystic changes and more abundant internal Doppler signal than HB-BCCs, which may suggest a potential basis for drug selection in BCC chemotherapy.

Nearly maximal violation of the Mermin-Klyshko inequality with multimode entangled coherent states.

Entangled coherent states for multiple bosonic modes, also referred to as multimode cat states, not only are of fundamental interest but also have practical applications. The nonclassical correlation among these modes is well characterized by the violation of the Mermin-Klyshko inequality. We here study Mermin-Klyshko inequality violations for such multi-mode entangled states with rotated quantum-number parity operators. It is shown that the Mermin-Klyshko signal obtained with these operators can approach the maximal value even when the average quantum number in each mode is only 1, and the inequality violation exponentially increases with the number of entangled modes. This is in distinct contrast with the framework based on displaced parity operators, with which a nearly maximal Mermin-Klyshko inequality violation requires the size of the cat state to be increased by about 15 times.

Deterministic Entanglement Swapping in a Superconducting Circuit.

Entanglement swapping, the process to entangle two particles without coupling them in any way, is one of the most striking manifestations of the quantum-mechanical nonlocal characteristic. Besides fundamental interest, this process has applications in complex entanglement manipulation and quantum communication. Here we report a high-fidelity, unconditional entanglement swapping experiment in a superconducting circuit. The measured concurrence characterizing the qubit-qubit entanglement produced by swapping is above 0.75, confirming most of the entanglement of one qubit with its partner is deterministically transferred to another qubit that has never interacted with it. We further realize delayed-choice entanglement swapping, showing whether two qubits previously behaved as in an entangled state or as in a separable state is determined by a later choice of the type of measurement on their partners. This is the first demonstration of entanglement-separability duality in a deterministic way.

Quantum nonlocality for entanglement of quasiclassical states.

Entanglement of quasiclassical (coherent) states of two harmonic oscillators leads to striking quantum effects and is useful for quantum technologies. These effects and applications are closely related to nonlocal correlations inherent in these states, manifested by the violation of Bell inequalities. With previous frameworks, this violation is limited by the size of the system, which does not approach the maximum, even when the amount of entanglement approaches its maximum. Here, we propose a new version of Bell correlation operators, with which a nearly maximal violation can be obtained, as long as the associated entanglement approximates to the maximum. Consequently, the revealed nonlocality is significantly stronger than those with previous frameworks for a wide range of the system size. We present a new scheme for realizing the gate necessary for measurement of the nonlocal correlations. In addition to the use in test of quantum nonlocality, this gate is useful for quantum information processing with coherent states.

Controllable and fast quantum-information transfer between distant nodes in two-dimensional networks.

We construct shortcuts to adiabatic passage to achieve controllable and fast quantum-information transfer (QIT) between arbitrary two distant nodes in a two-dimensional (2D) quantum network. Through suitable designing of time-dependent Rabi frequencies, we show that perfect QIT between arbitrary two distant nodes can be rapidly achieved. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposal is robust to the decoherence caused by atomic spontaneous emission and cavity photon leakage. Additionally, the proposed scheme is also insensitive to the variations of the experimental parameters. Thus, the proposed scheme provides a new perspective on robust quantum information processing in 2D quantum networks.

[The complexes of adenovirus and anionic liposomes: preparation and in vitro characterization].

This study is to report the preparation of complexes of Ad5 and anionic liposomes (AL-Ad5), the amplification of adenoviruses with enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter gene performed by HEK 293 cells, the adenoviral vectors purified by cesium chloride gradient centrifugation, and the titer of adenovirus determined by cytopathic effect (CPE) method, hexon capsid immunoassay and quantitative-PCR (Q-PCR), separately. The prescription and experiment conditions were optimized by central composite design (CCD). The complexes of Ad5 and AL-Ad5 were formulated by the calcium-induced phase change method. The morpholopy, particle size and zeta potential were detected by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Additionally, the bicolourable fluoresce-labeled complexes (F(labeled)-AL-Ad5) were prepared and their intracellular location in MDCK cells was detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The results indicate that the complexes of AL-Ad5 exhibited a uniform distribution with a particle size of 211 +/- 10 nm and a zeta potential of -41.2 +/- 2.2 mV. The result of CLSM demonstrates that the intracellular location of red fluoresce-labeled adenovirus was consistent with that of green fluoresce-labeled liposomes suggesting that the naked adenovirus was well encapsulated by the anionic liposomes in complexes of AL-Ad5.

Solid lipid nanoparticles loaded with anti-microRNA oligonucleotides (AMOs) for suppression of microRNA-21 functions in human lung cancer cells.

PURPOSE: Literature has highlighted the practical use of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) in research, but few reports have combined SLNs with miRNA-based therapy. We aimed to prepare SLNs to load anti-miRNA oligonucleotide (AMO) for miRNA-based therapy in vitro. METHODS: SLNs were employed to encapsulate AMO by a solvent diffusion method, and then the properties of AMO-CLOSs (cationic lipid binded oligonucleotide (AMO)-loaded SLNs) were characterized. We studied cellular uptake and activation properties of AMO-CLOSs in A549 cells, including antisense efficiency, cell migration and invasion. RESULTS: AMO-CLOSs were 187 nm in size and 46.6 mV in zeta potential with an approximately toroid morphology in the TEM image. AMO-CLOSs uptake by A549 cells was increased significantly higher and more effective than free AMO. Further results demonstrated that AMO-CLOSs showed high antisense efficiency of microRNA-21 and subsequently decreased the proliferation, migration and invasion of tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that AMO-CLOSs represent a potential new approach for carrying anti-miRNA inhibitors for cancer therapy.

Maternal inheritance of plastids and mitochondria in Cycas L. (Cycadaceae).

Cycas is often considered a living fossil, thereby providing a unique model for revealing the evolution of spermatophytes. To date, the genetic inheritance of these archaic plants is not fully understood. The present study seeks to document the process of organelle inheritance in an interspecific cross of Cycas species. Extranuclear organelle DNA from chloroplasts and mitochondria was analyzed using both polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and microscopy. Here, we show that the chloroplasts and mitochondria in the progeny of interspecific crosses between Cycas taitungensis and Cycas ferruginea were exclusively inherited from the female parent. Epifluorescence microscopic analyses of the pollen cells from Cycas elongata indicated that there was a significant degradation of organelle DNA in male reproductive cells following maturation; the DNA fluorescent signals were only seen after pollen mitosis two, but not detectable at mature stage. Lack of organelle DNA fluorescent signal in prothallial cells was confirmed by the absence of plastids and mitochondria in electronic microscopic images. In conclusion, these data suggest that the maternal plastid and mitochondrial inheritance in Cycas, native to the old world, are the same as seen in seed plants.

Development of predictive quantitative retention-activity relationship models of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors by biopartitioning micellar chromatography.

Biological fluid cell membranes are barriers for the uptake of many kinds of drugs and their metabolites, along with passive transport across membranes and bioaccumulation. Biopartitioning micellar chromatography (BMC) is a mode of micellar liquid chromatography that uses micellar mobile phases of Brij35 under adequate experimental conditions and can be useful to simulate the drug's passive absorption and the transport in biological systems. The use of micellar aqueous solutions of Brij35 as mobile phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography has proven to be valid to predict the biological activities of barbiturates, benzodiazepines, catecholamines, local anesthetics, non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs and tricyclic antidepressants. In this study, the relationships between the capacity factor in BMC and some pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors are studied. Predictive quantitative retention-activity relationship (QRAR) models describing some of the biological activities and pharmacokinetic properties of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are obtained. The results indicate that QRAR model may be a useful tool during the drug discovery process.

Optimizing the formulation of procationic liposomes-protamine-DNA complexes by response surface methodology.

The procationic liposomes-protamine-DNA (PLPD) vectors we described here are non-viral vehicles for gene delivery comprised of polycation-condensed plasmid DNA and procationic liposomes made of phospholipids, cholesterol, and CHETA (Cholest-5-en-3beta-yl[2-[[4-[(carboxymethyl)dithio]-1-iminobutyl]amino]ethyl] carbamate, C36H61N3O4S2). Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the formulation of PLPD. A three-factor, five-level RSM design was used for the optimization procedure, with the weight ratio of protamine/DNA (X1), the molar percent of CHETA (X2), and the weight ratio of CHETA/DNA (X3) in the procationic liposomes as the independent variables. PLPD size (Y1) and PLPD transfectivity (Y2) that was quantified as mU of beta-galactosidase per milligram of total protein were response variables. The simple factor experiment was utilized to define the experimental design region, and therefore the responses for the 15 formulations were obtained. Mathematical equations and response surface plots were used to relate the dependent and independent variables. The mathematical model predicted the optimized levels of X1, X2, and X3 through which the desired particle size and transfectivity were achieved. According to these levels, an optimized PLPD formulation was prepared, resulting in a particle size of 228.9 +/- 8.0 nm and transfectivity of 24.26 +/- 2.60 mU beta-galactosidase/mg protein.

Preparation of a TK/GCV administration system mediated by transferrin modified pro-cationic liposomes.

Transferrin modified pro-cationic liposomes were prepared and used to investigate the effect of targeting therapeutic genes to human hepatoma carcinoma cells in vitro. The main lipid CHETA, cholest-5-en-3beta-yl[2-[[4-[(carboxymethyl)dithio]-1-iminobutyl]amino]ethyl] carbamate (C36H61N3O4S2), was synthesized and used to prepare pro-cationic liposomes. The thymidine kinase (TK) gene loaded pro-cationic liposomes were prepared by first mixing the plasmid DNA and protamine together, and then incubating the resulted polyplexes with blank pro-cationic liposomes preformed by the thin film dispersion-sonication method. Transferrin (Tf) was adsorbed on the surface of pro-cationic liposomes via electrostatic interactions to form transferrin modified pro-cationic liposomes. Cellular association was measured by fluorimetry at excitation and emission wavelengths of 490 and 520 nm, respectively. The viability of TK gene infected cells following administration of ganciclovir (GCV) was investigated by MTT assay. The transferrin modified TK gene pro-cationic liposomes had a mean diameter of 240 +/- 12 nm and zeta potential of -24.10 +/- 2.5 mV (n = 3). The transmission electron microscopy image indicated that most of the liposomes were relatively regular and spherical with a condensed core inside. Cell-associated fluorescence of Tf-liposomes and unmodified liposomes (without transferrin) was 7.8 x 10(6), and 3.2 x 10(6) per milligram protein, respectively. Compared to Lipofectamine 2000 (Invitrogen, USA) the pro-cationic liposomes and transferrin modified pro-cationic liposomes had less cytotoxicity to cells. The transduced TK gene HepG2 cells were more sensitive to GCV than the un-transduced TK gene ones and the human normal Chang liver cells were not affected by the TK/GCV system mediated by procationic liposomes.

[Preparation and gene expression of transferrin modified gene loaded procationic liposomes].

A novel transferrin modified non-viral gene delivery system Tf-PLPD was developed and the related characteristics was investigated. Blank procationic liposomes were prepared by film dispersion-filteration method. PLPD was prepared as follows by first mixing the plasmid DNA and protamine together, then the resulted polyplexes were incubated for 10 min at room temperature, followed by addition of preformed blank procationic liposomes. Transferrin was adsorbed at the surface of PLPD via electrostatic interactions to form Tf-PLPD. Central composite design (CCD) was employed to optimize the formulation. The HepG2 cells were transfected using lacZ as reporter gene and characteristics such as the morphology, the mean particle size, the zeta potential and the transfection efficiency in HepG2 cells were further investigated by different methods. The resulting PLPD had a regular spherical surface with an average size of (228. 9 +/- 8. 0) nm (polydispersity index, PDI = 0. 122 +/- 0. 02, n = 3) , a zeta potential of ( - 25. 08 +/-2. 50) mV (n = 3) and a transfection efficiency of (12. 18 +/- 3. 80) mU x mg(-1) (protein). The Tf-PLPD had an average size of (240 +/- 12) nm (polydispersity index, PDI = 0. 150 +/- 0. 03, n = 3), a zeta potential of ( - 24. 10 +/- 2. 50) mV ( n = 3) and a transfection efficiency of (24. 26 +/- 2. 60) mU x mg(-1) (protein) , 20 times greater than that of the naked plasmid DNA. The presence of serum didn' t affect the tansfection activity of PLPD or Tf-PLPD. Compared to one kind of cationic liposomes (liposome-protamine-DNA, LPD), the PLPD and Tf-PLPD had much less cytotoxicity to three hepatic cell lines (including HepG2, SMMC7721 and Chang' s normal hepatocyte). The results indicated that the Tf-PLPD is a perspective non-viral vector for gene delivery systems.

Preparation and characterization of a novel nonviral gene transfer system: procationic-liposome-protamine-DNA complexes.

Procationic-liposome-protamine-DNA (PLPD) vector, a novel nonviral gene delivery system, that may further adsorb transferrin (Tf) at its surface via electrostatic interactions to form Tf-PLPD, was prepared from soybean phosphatidylcholine (PC), cholesterol (Chol), and a kind of cholesterol derivative, CHETA(cholest-5-en-3-ol(3beta)-[2-[[4-[(carboxymethyl)dithio]-1-iminobutyl] amino] ethyl] carba- mate) containing disulfide bond by film dispersion-filteration method. Central composite design was used to optimize the formulation. The presence of serum did not affect the transfection activity of PLPD or Tf-PLPD and the cell viability was not affected significantly when the cells were incubated with the complexes for 4 hr at 37 degrees C. Compared with one kind of cationic liposomes(liposome-protamine-DNA), the PLPD had much less cytotoxicity to three hepar cell lines(including HepG2, SMMC7721, and Chang's normal heptocyte). The procationic lipoplex described here, combining the condensing effect of protamine and the targeting capability of Tf, was a perspective nonviral vector for gene delivery system.

Characteristics comparison before and after lyophilization of transferrin modified Procationic-Liposome-Protamine-DNA complexes (Tf-PLPD).

A novel non-viral gene delivery system, Procationic-Liposome-Protamine-DNA complexes (PLPD) which could further adsorb transferrin on the surface as a targeting ligand to form Tf-PLPD, was prepared and characterized before and after lyophilization. The size distribution of Tf-PLPD was in the range of 240 +/- 12 nm and the zeta potential was -24.10 +/- 2.5 mV. The transfection efficiencies of PLPD and Tf-PLPD were 12.18 +/- 3.8 and 24.26 +/- 2.6 mU beta-galactosidase/mg protein respectively. The lyophilization and the presence of serum didn't affect the tansfectivities of PLPD or Tf-PLPD. Compared to Lipofectamine 2000 (Invitrogen, U.S.A.), the procationic liposomes had less cytotoxicity to cells. In summary the procationic lipoplex described here, combining the condensing effect of protamine and the targeting capability of Tf, was a perspective non-viral vector for gene delivery system.

Characterization of transferrin-modified procationic-liposome protamine-DNA complexes.

We developed a novel transferrin modified non-viral gene delivery system, transferrin-modified procationic-liposome-protamine-DNA complexes (Tf-PLPD) and investigated its characteristics. Blank procationic liposomes were prepared using the film dispersion filter method. Protamine was used to condense plasmid DNA to form protamine-DNA complexes and the complexes were further incubated with blank procationic liposomes to form PLPD. Transferrin was adsorbed onto the surface of PLPD via an electrostatic interaction, and thus Tf-PLPD was produced. Characteristics such as stability in rat serum, morphology, average particle size, zeta potential, and transfection efficiency in HepG2 cells were further investigated. The results indicated that the procationic liposomes remained stable in rat serum for 24 h. Tf-PLPD protected plasmid DNA from enzymatic degradation even after lyophilization. The size distribution of Tf-PLPD was in the range of 240+/-12 nm and the zeta potential was -24.10+/-2.5 mV (n=3), respectively. The transfection efficiencies of Tf-PLPD were 24.26+/-2.6 mU beta-galactosidase/mg protein. Lyophilization and the presence of serum did not affect the transfectivity of Tf-PLPD and the procationic liposomes also had low cytotoxicity to cells.