NUMA1 modulates apoptosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells through regulating ASK1-JNK signaling pathway.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignancy worldwide with a low survival rate due to a lack of therapeutic targets. Here, our results showed that nuclear mitotic apparatus protein 1 (NUMA1) transcript and protein levels are significantly upregulated in ESCC patient samples and its high expression predicated poor prognosis. Knock-down of NUMA1 promoted cell apoptosis and suppressed cell proliferation and colony formation. By using cell-derived xenograft (CDX) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mice models, we found silencing the NUMA1 expression suppressed tumor progression. In addition, conditional knocking-out of NUMA1 reduced 4NQO-induced carcinogenesis in mice esophagus, which further confirmed the oncogenic role of NUMA1 in ESCC. Mechanistically, from the immunoprecipitation assay we revealed that NUMA1 interacted with GSTP1 and TRAF2, promoted the association of TRAF2 with GSTP1 while inhibited the interaction of TRAF2 and ASK1, thus to regulate sustained activation of JNK. In summary, our findings suggest that NUMA1 plays an important role during ESCC progression and it functions through regulating ASK1-MKK4-SAPK/JNK signaling pathway.

Fiber grating sensing interrogation system based on a modulated grating Y-branch tunable laser for core-and-cladding-integrated fiber Bragg grating temperature measurement.

Numerous studies have addressed various methods to interrogate fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). However, conventional methods are ineffective for multipeak FBG demodulation. A core-and-cladding-integrated fiber Bragg grating (FBG) temperature-interrogation system, based on a modulated grating Y-branch (MG-Y) tunable laser and home-built FBG, is proposed in this study. The sensing system comprises an MG-Y tunable laser interrogation system, a 3-dB optical fiber coupler, a core-and-cladding-integrated FBG, a heating platform, and a personal computer. The core-and-cladding-integrated FBG with two reflection peaks is sampled by the designed MG-Y laser. The FBG has a period of 534 nm and a grating length of 2000 µm. It is fabricated in a single-mode fiber by femtosecond-laser writing through the fiber coating. The interrogator is suitable for temperature measurement via the core-and-cladding-integrated FBG. In tests of the temperature-interrogation system, a temperature change from 30 to 100 °C generates spectral shifts toward longer wavelengths for both the core and cladding reflection peaks. For the core and cladding, temperature sensing sensitivities of 111 and 113 pm/°C with linearities of 0.993 and 0.99, respectively, during heating and 117 and 120 pm/°C with linearity coefficients of 0.994 and 0.99, respectively, during cooling are achieved.

Characterization of metallic-packaging fiber Bragg grating sensors with coated and bare fibers.

Metallic packaging of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors is developed using the ultrasonic welding method. Both polyimide-coated fiber and bare fiber could be bonded well to aluminum alloy substrate using Sn-Bi alloy. Two kinds of metal-packaged FBG sensors, coated FBG and bare FBG, are characterized for studying the thermal sensitivity, strain response, short-term creep, and temporal temperature response. Both FBG sensors showed increasing sensitivity with temperature from -40°C to 80°C. The metal-packaged coated FBG sensor displayed relative strengths in strain stability, repeatability, creep, spectra shape, and temperature response when compared with the bare one. Moreover, the boundaries between optical fiber and metal alloy are intact, and cross-sectional scanning electron microscope micrographs clearly illustrated that metal alloy coated well with the coated and bare fiber.

Corneal hyper-viscoelastic model: derivations, experiments, and simulations.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to propose a method to construct corneal biomechanical model which is the foundation for simulation of corneal microsurgery. METHODS: Corneal material has two significant characteristics: hyperelastic and viscoelastic. Firstly, Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic model of cornea obtained based on stored-energy function can be simplified as a linear equation with two unknown parameters. Then, modified Maxwell viscoelastic model of the cornea, whose analytical form is consistent with the generalized Prony-series model, is proposed from the perspective of material mechanics. RESULTS: Parameters of the model are determined by the uniaxial tensile tests and the stress-relaxation tests. Corneal material properties are simulated to verify the hyper-viscoelastic model and measure the effectiveness of the model in the finite element simulation. On this basis, an in vivo model of the corneal is built. And the simulation of extrusion in vivo cornea shows that the force is roughly nonlinearly increasing with displacement, and it is consistent with the results obtained by extrusion experiment of in vivo cornea. Conlusions: This paper derives a corneal hyper-viscoelastic model to describe the material properties more accurately, and explains the mathematical method for determination of the model parameters. The model is an effective biomechanical model, which can be directly used for simulation of trephine and suture in keratoplasty. Although the corneal hyper-viscoelastic model is taken as the object of study, the method has certain adaptability in biomechanical research of ophthalmology.