A Comparison of Clinicopathologic Outcomes and Patterns of Lymphatic Spread Across Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy, and Neoadjuvant Immunochemotherapy in Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) is recommended as the treatment standard for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The use of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting has gained attention. Multiple, clinical trials have explored the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT). We evaluated the differences in clinicopathologic outcomes and the patterns of lymphatic spread among patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT), NCRT, and NICT before esophagectomy for locally advanced ESCC. METHODS: A total of 702 patients with ESCC who completed transthoracic esophagectomy followed neoadjuvant therapy were included. Pathological characteristics, including pathologic complete response (pCR), tumor regression grade (TRG) score and patterns of lymphatic spread, were evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with the NCT group, the NCRT group and NICT group had an advantage in pathological response (P < 0.05). The pCR rate was 8.1% in the NCT group, 29.9% in the NCRT group, and 23.6% in the NICT group. The TRG score (P < 0.05) and pathologic T stage (P < 0.05) in the NCT group were significantly higher. Compared with NICT, NCRT can significantly reduce the rate of lymph node metastasis rate in station 1R (0 vs. 3.4%, P < 0.05) and 2R (1.1% vs. 6.8%, P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis according to the tumor location distribution showed that NICT group had higher lymph node metastasis rate in station 2R (9.1%) in middle thoracic cases (P < 0.05) and in station 18 (7.5%) (P < 0.05) in lower thoracic cases. CONCLUSIONS: NCRT or NICT followed by surgery may result in a promising pCR rate and show a better performance in therapeutic response of primary lesion. For patients with lymph node metastasis in station 1R and 2R, NCRT should be the optimal preoperative treatment strategy.

[Retracted] KIF4A promotes the development of bladder cancer by transcriptionally activating the expression of CDCA3.

Following the publication of the above paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that certain of the tumour images in Fig. 3A and the immunohistochemistry data in Fig. 3C on p. 7, and colony formation assay data shown in Fig. 4F on p. 8 were strikingly similar to data that had already appeared in previous publications. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere, or were under consideration for publication, prior to its submission to International Journal of Molecular Medicine, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. After having been in contact with the authors, they accepted the decision to retract this paper. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [International Journal of Molecular Medicine 47: 99, 2021; DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.4932].

Circ_0011385 knockdown inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas promotes cell apoptosis by regulating miR-330-3p/MYO6 axis in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignant tumor. Recent studies have showed circular RNA (circRNA) participates in the development of CRC. The study was designed to reveal the role of circ_0011385 in CRC progression and underneath mechanism. METHODS: The expression circ_0011385, microRNA-330-3p (miR-330-3p) and myosin VI (MYO6) mRNA were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Protein expression was detected by Western blot assay. Cell proliferation was investigated by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT), cell colony formation and flow cytometry assays. Cell apoptosis was demonstrated by flow cytometry analysis. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by wound-healing assay and transwell invasion assay, respectively. The binding sites between miR-330-3p and circ_0011385 or MYO6 were predicted by CircInteractome or starBase online databases, and identified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. RESULTS: Circ_0011385 and MYO6 expression were dramatically upregulated, while miR-330-3p expression was downregulated in CRC tissues or cells compared with control groups. Circ_0011385 expression was associated with tumor size, tumor-node-metastasis stage (TNM) stage and lymph node metastasis of CRC patients. Circ_0011385 silencing or MYO6 absence repressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas induced cell apoptosis in CRC. Additionally, miR-330-3p inhibitor or MYO6 overexpression attenuated the repressive impacts of circ_0011385 silencing on CRC process. Circ_0011385 was associated with miR-330-3p, and miR-330-3p targeted MYO6. Circ_0011385 knockdown inactivated MEK1/2/ERK1/2 signaling pathway by miR-330-3p/MYO6 axis. Furthermore, circ_0011385 knockdown suppressed tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION: Circ_0011385 regulated CRC process by miR-330-3p/MYO6 axis through MEK1/2/ERK1/2 signaling pathway, providing a novel therapeutic target for CRC.

Evaluation of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Survival Outcomes in Patients With Synchronous Oligometastatic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Importance: The optimal treatment for and potential benefit populations of synchronous oligometastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SOESCC) remain unclear. Objectives: To evaluate outcomes of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and to construct decision tree models for predicting the risk of progression and mortality in patients with SOESCC. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prognostic study included 532 patients with SOESCC who were treated at 2 cancer centers in China from January 2012 to December 2018 and consisted of a development cohort (n = 381) and a validation cohort (n = 151). Data were analyzed from March 2019 to December 2021. Exposures: All patients received chemotherapy alone or CCRT. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end points of the study were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and the secondary end points were locoregional control and treatment-related toxic effects. Propensity score matching was performed to control potential confounding factors. Cox regression was used to screen important explanatory variables. Decision trees for optimally partitioning patients were established using recursive partitioning analysis and were then subjected to internal and independent external validation. Results: Among the 532 patients (median [range] age, 63 [32-82] years; 367 men [69.0%]), 292 patients received chemotherapy alone and 240 patients underwent CCRT. With a median (IQR) follow-up time of 37.0 (21.6-55.8) months, CCRT was associated with improved objective response rate (139 of 240 [57.9%] vs 123 of 292 [42.1%]; P < .001), median (IQR) PFS (9.7 [8.5-10.9] months vs 7.6 [6.6-8.6] months; P < .001), and median (IQR) OS (18.5 [16.1-20.9] months vs 15.2 [13.6-16.8] months; P < .001) compared with chemotherapy alone. Propensity score matching analysis verified the results. Cox multivariate analysis indicated that treatment modality (CCRT vs chemotherapy alone) was an independent prognostic factor related to PFS (hazard ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.57-0.83; P < .001) and OS (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61-0.93; P = .008). The final decision trees divided patients with SOESCC into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups in both the internal and external validations, and the corresponding cumulative risk function curves had significant differences (all P < .001). Time-dependent maximum areas under receiver operating curves of decision trees for progression risk at 3 years and mortality risk at 5 years were 0.820 (95% CI, 0.693-0.948) and 0.894 (95% CI, 0.822-0.966), respectively. Calibration curves also demonstrated that the decision trees had favorable performance of risk stratification. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, CCRT vs chemotherapy alone as a first-line treatment for patients with SOESCC had superior survival. Patients with low risk had promising long-term survival based on the current treatment modality. The predictive information of the decision tree could provide accurate decision-making for the management of patients with SOESCC.

Chinese football violence: An extended theory of planned behavior model to predict fans' violent behavioral intentions.

This study introduced deindividuation (DI) variables and constructed a mechanism model of football fans' violent behavioral intentions (FVBI) in China based on theory of planned behavior (TPB). Specifically, taking Chinese football fans as the research subjects, we used a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the specific effects of subjective norms (SNs), perceived behavioral control, DI, and attitude (AT) on violent behavior intentions. Our results showed that SNs (ß = -0.132, P < 0.01) had a significant negative predictive effect on FVBI, while perceived behavioral control (ß = 0.297, P < 0.01), DI (ß = 0.239, P < 0.01), and AT (ß = 0.416, P < 0.01) had a significant positive predictive effect. However, we found that AT was the most important factor that predicted the FVBI and played a mediating role between SNs and FVBI, between perceived behavior control (PBC) and FVBI, and between DI and FVBI as well.

Effects of Physical Activity on Daily Physical Function in Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study from CHARLS.

OBJECTIVE: Impaired daily physical function has become a common health problem among Chinese middle-aged and elderly people. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of physical activity on daily physical function in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: Data from 9056 participants in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from 2011 to 2018 were included in this study. Physical activity levels were expressed as metabolic equivalents, and the impairment of daily physical function was determined in a self-reported format by the Activities of Daily Living Scale and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale. The association between different levels of physical activity and impaired daily physical function was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up period of 6.73 years, 1379 middle-aged and older adults had impaired physical function. After adjusting for all covariates, participants with a physical activity volume (PAV) ≥ 600 MET-minutes/week had a 61% lower risk of impaired daily physical function than those who were physically inactive (HR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.35-0.44). Participants with a PAV of 1800-2999 MET-minutes/week had the lowest risk of impaired daily physical function (HR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.26-0.42). Subgroup analysis showed that participants with a PAV ≥ 600 MET-minutes/week had a greater reduction in the risk of impaired daily physical function among participants who were male, older than or equal to 65 years, and without respiratory disease compared to participants who were physically inactive. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that a PAV ≥ 600 MET-minutes/week could reduce the risk of impaired daily physical function in Chinese middle-aged and elderly people. However, a higher PAV is not better; a PAV in the range of 1800-2999 MET-minutes/week can be more effective in preventing daily physical function impairment in Chinese middle-aged and elderly people.

Brain Functional Connectivity in Middle-Aged Hong Chuan Tai Chi Players in Resting State.

Tai Chi is an effective strategy for slowing cognitive decline, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We designed a cross-sectional study to examine brain functional connectivity in middle-aged Hong Chuan Tai Chi practitioners. Eighteen middle-aged Hong Chuan Tai Chi practitioners and 22 age-matched Tai Chi-naïve controls completed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) tests to evaluate oxyhemoglobin changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), motor cortex (MC), and occipital cortex (OC) in five frequency intervals (I, 0.6-2 Hz; II, 0.145-0.6 Hz; III, 0.052-0.145 Hz; IV, 0.021-0.052 Hz; V, 0.0095-0.021 Hz). Wavelet phase coherence was used to analyze the match between the instantaneous phases of the two signals to accurately measure brain functional connectivity. Global cognition was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale. Compared with the control group, Hong Chuan Tai Chi practitioners had better global cognition (p < 0.01) and showed higher functional connectivity of the PFC, MC, and OC in intervals I, III, VI, and V in the resting state within the same brain hemispheres or between the left and right hemispheres. Our findings revealed that middle-aged Hong Chuan Tai Chi practitioners had higher functional connectivity of the PFC, MC, and OC across both brain hemispheres in cardiac activity, myogenic activity, sympathetic nervous system, and endothelial cell metabolic activities which may contribute to higher global cognition.

The Relationship between Social Support and Exercise Adherence among Chinese College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Effects of Subjective Exercise Experience and Commitment.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social support and exercise adherence among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the mediating effects of subjective exercise experience and commitment in the relationship, in order to provide a reference for improving exercise adherence among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire, Subjective Exercise Experience Scale, Exercise Commitment Scale, and Exercise Adherence Scale were administered to 459 eligible college students in Jinan, Shandong Province, through convenience sampling. Results showed that social support positively predicted exercise adherence among college students. The separate and joint mediating effects of subjective exercise experience and commitment between social support and college students' exercise adherence were significant. This study demonstrated that social support can positively predict exercise adherence among college students. In addition, subjective exercise experience and commitment played mediation roles between social support and college students' exercise adherence, both separately and jointly. Therefore, enhancing social support and improving the level of subjective exercise experience and exercise commitment among college students may be an effective strategy for improving exercise adherence among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Auricular acupuncture of magnetic pellet combined with catheter balloon dilatation in treatment of post-stroke cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy on post-stroke cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction treated with auricular acupuncture of magnetic pellet combined with catheter balloon dilatation, and the effect on the adverse reaction during catheter balloon dilatation and the patients' quality of life. METHODS: A total of 106 patients with post-stroke cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction were randomly divided into an observation group (53 cases, 3 cases dropped off, 1 case excluded) and a control group (53 cases, 5 cases dropped off). The catheter balloon dilatation was provided in the control group, once a day. In the observation group, on the base of the treatment as the control group, auricular acupuncture of magnetic pellet was added. Before catheter balloon dilatation, the magnetic pellet was pressed at Yanhou (TG3), Xin (CO15), Naogan (AT3,4i), etc. These auricular points were pressed 5 min, as well as in every morning and evening for another 5 min, totally 3 times a day. The auricular acupuncture of magnetic pellet was applied on the ears alternatively each time, once every 3 days. One session treatment contained 6 days and 4 sessions of treatment were required in both groups. Before and after treatment, the scores of standardized swallowing assessment (SSA), Rosenbek penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) and swallowing quality of life (SWAL-QOL) were observed in both groups. Separately, on day 1 (T1) of treatment, in 2 weeks into treatment (T2) and on the last day of treatment (T3), the score of visual analogue scale (VAS) was recorded in both groups. The incidence of nausea and vomiting and the clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, SSA and PAS scores were reduced (P<0.05) and SWAL-QOL scores were increased (P<0.05) in both groups compared with those before treatment, and the changes in the observation group were larger than those in the control group (P<0.05). At T2 and T3, VAS scores were lower than those at T1 in both groups (P<0.05), while VAS score at each time point in the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of nausea and vomiting in the observation group was 51.0% (25/49), lower than the control group (79.2%, 38/48, P<0.05). The total effective rate was 95.9% (47/49) in the observation group, better than the control group (87.5%, 42/48, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Auricular acupuncture of magnetic pellet combined with catheter balloon dilatation effectively improve the swallowing function, relieve the discomforts during the dilatation and promote the quality of life in patients with post-stroke cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction.

The Effects of Qigong for Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension has been a global public health problem. Qigong as a complementary and alternative therapy is often used to reduce blood pressure. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of Qigong on blood pressure in hypertensive patients. METHODS: Six electronic resource databases were searched from inception to January 2019, and randomized controlled trials of Qigong on hypertension were retrieved. Meta-analysis was conducted according to the guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration, and Review Manager 5.3 was applied. Two researchers independently identified articles to include based on inclusion/exclusion criteria, data extraction, and quality evaluation. RESULTS: Fourteen studies, with 829 individuals, were included. The meta-analysis demonstrates that, compared with no exercise, Qigong has significant positive effects on systolic blood pressure (mean difference = -8.90, 95% CI (-12.13, -5.67), P < 0.00001) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference = -5.02, 95% CI (-7.88, -2.17), P < 0.00001). There is, however, no significant difference between Qigong and other aerobic exercises in reducing blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Qigong can effectively reduce blood pressure levels. Longer-term engagement in the practice has an even better effect in hypertension patients. However, the conclusion of this study still needs to be verified by more high-quality studies.

Survival impact of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for elderly patients with synchronous oligometastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A propensity score matching and landmark analyses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potential benefits of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), and to establish a nomogram for predicting survival outcomes of elderly patients with synchronous oligometastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SOEC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study eventually enrolled 314 elderly patients who initially diagnosed with SOEC from two centers. Treatment responses and outcomes of 151 patients receiving CCRT and 163 patients undergoing chemotherapy alone (CT) were compared. Propensity score matching and landmark analyses were performed to control potential confounding factors. A nomogram was established on the basis of the Cox regression model. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 42.3 months, CCRT was superior to CT alone in objective response rate (ORR, 59.6% vs. 39.9%, P < 0.001), median progression-free survival (PFS, 10.0 vs. 7.2 months, P < 0.001), and median overall survival (OS, 18.5 vs. 15.6 months, P < 0.001). The propensity score matching (PSM) and landmark analyses redemonstrated the same trend (P < 0.01). On hierarchical analysis, patients with 1-3 metastatic lesions involving one organ displayed longer median PFS (9.0 vs. 7.8 months, P = 0.008) and OS (17.8 vs. 15.2 months, P < 0.001) than those with 4-5 metastatic lesions involving 2-3 organs. The major toxicities of grade III or higher for CCRT included leukocytopenia (23.2%), radiation esophagitis (7.3%), and radiation pneumonitis (8.6%). Cox multivariate analysis showed that the number of metastatic lesions (P = 0.012) and tumor response (P < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors associated with OS. A nomogram was established by incorporating the number of metastatic lesions and tumor response, with a concordance index of 0.743 after internal cross-validation. Calibration curves and decision curve analysis confirmed that nomogram had a favorable predictive value for individualized survival. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with CT alone, CCRT exhibited superior efficacy and acceptable toxicity in the first-line treatment for elderly patients with SOEC. The current study supports the oligometastatic definition of ≤3 metastatic lesions involving one organ for esophageal cancer patients. The constructed nomogram can effectively predict the individualized survival.

Prednisone reduction for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with recurrent pulmonary tuberculosis: Case report.

INTRODUCTION: Prednisone (10 mg/d) is often used in combination with docetaxel or abiraterone in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. LATITUDE studies have confirmed that the combination of abiraterone and prednisone (5 mg/d) can be used for the treatment of newly diagnosed high-risk metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer, and have achieved satisfactory results. However, it has not been reported that abiraterone combined with prednisone (5 mg/d) in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). PATIENT CONCERNS: Here, we present a case of high-risk advanced prostate cancer with old pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). The patient developed a relapse of old tuberculosis in both lungs that were discovered following 14 months of continuous application of prednisone (10 mg/d). DIAGNOSIS: The histopathological findings showed prostate adenocarcinoma carcinoma with a Gleason score of 10 (5+5). Further laboratory investigations were suggestive of positive mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA in pleural effusion and sputum. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent endocrine therapy, chemotherapy of docetaxel plus prednisone, radiotherapy, and abiraterone combined with prednisone treatment, but he eventually developed into the mCRPC stage. Then, prednisone was reduced to 5 mg/d plus abiraterone, and combined with anti-tuberculosis treatment according to multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment. OUTCOME: Two months later, pleural effusion and atelectasis were relieved, and PSA was remained stable at a low level. The patient achieved complete remission. CONCLUSION: We cannot, with complete certainty, say that this patient, or any patient, developed old PTB recurrence due to the use of prednisone. Based on the current evidence, endocrine therapy is the foundation, radiotherapy can reduce the tumor load, and early application of abiraterone is beneficial to survival for the high-risk mCRPC. The long-term use of prednisone can be appropriately reduced in mCRPC with old PTB, and a satisfactory curative effect can be achieved. More prospective trials are warranted before a definite recommendation could be drawn.

KIF4A promotes the development of bladder cancer by transcriptionally activating the expression of CDCA3.

Bladder cancer (BC) is among the most common urinary system tumors with a high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite advancements being made in the diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer, targeted therapy remains the most promising treatment, and novel therapeutic targets are urgently required in to improve the outcomes of patients with BC. Kinesin family member 4A (KIF4A) is a plus­end directed motor protein involved in the regulation of multiple cellular processes, such as mitosis and axon growth. Notably, KIF4A plays important roles in tumor growth and progression, and its expression is associated with the prognosis of several types of cancer. However, the potential role and molecular mechanisms of KIF4A in bladder cancer development remain unclear. The present study demonstrated that KIF4A was highly expressed in human BC tissues, and its expression was associated with patient clinicopathological characteristics, such as tumor stage (P=0.012) and with the prognosis of patients with BC. It was further found that KIF4A promoted the cell proliferation of bladder cancer both in vitro and in vivo. On the whole, the data presented herein provide evidence that KIF4A promotes the development of BC through the transcriptional activation of the expression of CDCA3. The present study indicates the involvement of KIF4A in the progression of BC and suggests that KIF4A may be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of BC.

Involvement of 5-HT-BDNF signaling axis in mediating synergistic antidepressant-like effects after combined administration of two oligosaccharide esters.

Potential mechanisms of depression involving herbal medicines and their specific compounds include elevated 5-HT level and downstream BDNF pathway. To identify potentially new combined therapeutic strategies, 3,6'-disinapoylsucrose (DISS) and tenuifoliside A (TFSA) have been observed to show antidepressant-like effects and its related 5-HT-BDNF pathway. We have tried to investigate whether combined administration of DISS and TFSA exerted more effective in the treatment of depression, as assessed through tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST). In addition, we also analyzed the expression of three important proteins, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding (CREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and cAMP-regulated transcriptional coactivators (CRTC1), which have been shown to be involved in the regulation of the neurotrophic factors in the hippocampus. The DISS and TFSA separately, both at a dose of 5 mg/kg each, displayed small effect in the immobility time. However, combined treatment of these two in multiple doses exhibited better effect. Moreover, combined treatment of DISS and TFSA also demonstrated enhanced levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and stronger increase in the phosphorylation levels of CREB, BDNF, and CRTC1 proteins in the hippocampus. Overall, our results indicated that coadministration of these two oligosaccharide esters at low dose may induce more pronounced antidepressant activity, in comparison with individual treatment even at high dosage. Thus, the antidepressant properties of both these compounds can be attributed to their ability to influence 5-HT and BDNF pathway, and thereby suggesting that this combination strategy can definitely act as alternative therapy for depression disorder with very limited side effects.

Circ_0057553/miR-515-5p Regulates Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, Migration, Invasion and Aerobic Glycolysis by Targeting YES1.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant cancer in males worldwide. Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are novel type of non-coding RNAs. Recently, circRNAs have been reported participating in various cancers, including prostate cancer. However, the function and mechanism of circ_0057553 remain to be elucidated. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The RNA expression levels of circ_0057553, miR-515-5p, YES proto-oncogene 1 (YES1) and glycolytic genes mRNA were detected by qRT-PCR in PCa tissues or cells. Western blotting was performed to analyze YES1 protein level. Cell viability, migration and invasion and cell apoptosis were assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry. In addition, the effects of cell glycolysis were evaluated by measuring lactate production, glucose consumption and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level. Moreover, dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the target sites of circ_0057553 and miR-515-5p, miR-515-5p and YES1. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) was conducted to evaluate the target relationship between circ_0057553 and miR-515-5p. Xenograft mouse model was conducted to measure tumor formation in vivo. RESULTS: Circ_0057553 was significantly up-regulated in PCa tissues and cells. Knockdown of circ_0057553 inhibited cell viability, migration, invasion and glycolysis and facilitated apoptosis in PCa cells. Furthermore, circ_0057553 bound to miR-515-5p and miR-515-5p directly targeted YES1. Interestingly, miR-515-5p inhibitor partially rescued the function of circ_0057553 knockdown, while YES1 restored the effects of miR-515-5p overexpression. Circ_0057553 down-regulation remarkably decreased tumor volume and weight in vivo. CONCLUSION: Circ_0057553 affected PCa cell viability, migration, invasion, apoptosis and glycolysis through miR-515-5p/YES1 axis.

Specific ion effects control the thermoelastic behavior of nanolayered materials: the case of crystalline alkali-silica reaction products.

We perform molecular simulations to characterize the structure and the thermo-mechanical behavior of crystalline alkali-silica reaction (ASR) products, which are layered silicate analogous to shlykovite. As charge-balancing cations, we study Na and K (the most relevant alkali involved in ASR) as well as Li (relevant for ASR therapy) and Cs (relevant for nuclear applications). For the first time, the thermal and elastic properties of these crystalline products are computed using molecular simulations. The simulations reveal that the charge-balancing cations control thermo-elastic properties of shlykovite, following the example of other phyllosilicates. Change balance ion affects the number of H-bonds in the order Cs > K > Na > Li, and that observation can be associated with the variations in the computed thermo-mechanical properties. Using as input the elastic properties obtained from the molecular scale and assuming long-range disorder at the mesoscale (through a simplified representation of the gel scale), we provide mean-field homogenization estimates of the elastic constants at the gel scale that are consistent with indentation data. This result suggests a nanogranular texture of ASR gels.

Ribosome Binding Protein 1 Correlates with Prognosis and Cell Proliferation in Bladder Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Ribosome binding protein 1 (RRBP1) is reported to be correlated with tumor formation and progression. However, the role of RRBP1 in bladder cancer is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression of RRBP1 and its influence on cell proliferation in bladder cancer. METHODS: Quantification real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to detect the expression levels of RRBP1 in 138 bladder cancer and matched adjacent normal bladder tissues. Then, the clinical significance of RRBP1 in bladder cancer was evaluated. The effect of RRBP1 on cell proliferation and its potential mechanism were further explored. RESULTS: Results show that the mRNA levels of RRBP1 in bladder cancer were significantly higher compared with those in normal tissues (P< 0.001). IHC results show the high-expression rate of RRBP1 in bladder cancer was 68.8%, which was significantly greater than those in normal tissues (40.6%, P< 0.001). RRBP1 high-expression was significantly associated with differentiation, T stage and lymph node metastasis in bladder cancer (P< 0.05). The overall survival time of patients with RRBP1 high-expression was significantly reduced compared to those with RRBP1 low-expression. Moreover, RRBP1 overexpression significantly promoted cell proliferation, which was correlated with Smad1/Smad3/TGF-ß1 signal pathway. CONCLUSION: RRBP1 high-expression correlates with prognosis and promotes cell proliferation in bladder cancer, which could be a potential biomarker.

Mechanical behavior and phase change of alkali-silica reaction products under hydrostatic compression.

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) causes severe degradation of concrete. The mechanical property of the ASR product is fundamental to the multiscale modeling of concrete behavior over the long term. Despite years of study, there is a lack of consensus regarding the structure and elastic modulus of the ASR product. Here, ASR products from both degraded field infrastructures and laboratory synthesis were investigated using high-pressure X-ray diffraction. The results unveiled the multiphase and metastable nature of ASR products from the field. The dominant phase undergoes permanent phase change via collapsing of the interlayer region and in-planar glide of the main layer, under pressure >2 GPa. The bulk moduli of the low- and high-pressure polymorphs are 27±3 and 46±3 GPa, respectively. The laboratory-synthesized sample and the minor phase in the field samples undergo no changes of phase during compression. Their bulk moduli are 35±2 and 76±4 GPa, respectively. The results provide the first atomistic-scale measurement of the mechanical property of crystalline ASR products.

Multiphase Transition toward Colorless Bismuth-Germanate Scintillating Glass and Fiber for Radiation Detection.

The applications of scintillating fiber in high-resolution medical imaging, remote radiation monitoring, and microbeam radiation therapy have raised a growing demand of bismuth-germanate (BGO) glass fiber. However, the task of construction of colorless BGO glass fiber has been met with limited success. Here, we present a renewable process that can help to achieve BGO scintillating fiber, based on glass relaxation and crystallization mediated dissolution of unexpected Bi center. The experimental results indicate that the strategy can improve the optical transmittance up to more than 73.17% at 483 nm, which is ∼6.28 times higher than that of the conventional material. Importantly, the obtained nanostructured BGO exhibits bright visible luminescence under excitation with X-ray. Furthermore, it can host various types of rare-earth dopants, and the radiation-induced luminescence can be tuned in a wide waveband region from visible to infrared waveband. In addition, colorless BGO fiber with bright emission is also successfully constructed, and the radiation probing test demonstrates the achievement of ∼19.48 times improvement in the detection sensitivity. Our results highlight the approach based on the dynamic glass relaxation may provide new opportunities for construction of scintillating glass fiber and compact radiation fiber detector.