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Detailed snow cover maps are essential for estimating the earth's energy balance and hydrological cycle. Mapping the snow cover across spatially extensive and topographically complex areas with less or no cloud obscuration is challenging, but the SNPP-VIIRS Day/Night Band (DNB) nighttime light data offers a potential solution. This paper aims to map snow cover distribution at 750 m resolution across the diverse 1,664,900 km2 of Xinjiang, China, based on SNPP-VIIRS DNB radiance. We implemented a swarm intelligent optimization technique Krill Herd algorithm, which finds the optimal threshold value by taking Otsu's method as the objective function. We derived SNPP-VIIRS DNB snow maps of 14 consecutive scenes in December 2021, compared our snow-covered area estimations with those from MODIS and AMSR2 standard snow cover products, and generated composite snow maps by merging MODIS and SNPP-VIIRS DNB data. Results show that SNPP-VIIRS DNB snow maps are capable of providing reliable snow cover maps superior to MODIS and AMSR2, with an overall accuracy level of 84.66%. The composite snow maps at 500 m spatial resolution provided 55.85% more information on snow cover distribution than standard MODIS products and achieved an overall accuracy of 84.69%. Our study demonstrated the feasibility of snow cover detection in Xinjiang based on SNPP-VIIRS DNB, which can serve as a supplementary dataset for MODIS estimations where clouded pixels are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most concerned global health issues. However, comprehensive profiles of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in various environmental settings are still needed to address modern antibiotic resistome. Here, Arctic soils and representative contaminated samples from ARG pollution sources were analyzed using metagenomic approaches. The diversity and abundance of ARGs in Arctic soils were significantly lower than those in contaminated samples (p < 0.01). ARG profiles in Arctic soils were featured with the dominance of van F, ceo B, and bac A related to multidrug and bacitracin, whereas those from ARG pollution sources were characterized by prevalent resistance to anthropogenic antibiotics such as sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and beta -lactams. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were found in all samples, and their abundance and relatedness to ARGs were both lower in Arctic soils than in polluted samples. Significant relationships between bacterial communities and ARGs were observed (p < 0.01). Cultural bacteria in Arctic soils had clinically-concerned resistance to erythromycin, vancomycin, ampicillin, etc., but ARGs relevant to those antibiotics were undetectable in their genomes. Our results suggested that Arctic environment could be an important reservoir of novel ARGs, and antibiotic stresses could cause ARG pollution via horizontal gene transfer and enrichment of resistant bacteria. [Display omitted] • The diversity and abundance of ARGs were significantly lower in Arctic soils than in contaminated samples. • ARG profiles were significantly different between the Arctic soils and contaminated samples. • Significant correlations were observed between ARGs and MGEs. • Significant relationships were found between bacterial community and ARG composition. • Arctic environment is a great reservoir of novel ARGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niche construction theory, which portrays organisms as active agents that modify their environment rather than mere passive entities selected by their environment, has received increasing attention in ecology and evolutionary biology. Here, we investigate the ecological consequences of niche construction in the system of three cyclically competing metapopulations, engaging a rock–scissors–paper game. Using cellular automata, we detected a variety of dynamic behaviors, including damped oscillation, periodical fluctuation and stage equilibrium, and the system transformed from disorder to order with gradually increasing niche-constructing intensity. Increasing niche-constructing intensity of a species, counterintuitively, reduced its own occupancy, but increased that of its inferior competitor. These species displayed interesting ripples in the two-dimension lattice space, with the pattern sensitive to the symmetry of competition intensity and other vital rates. Spatial heterogeneity induced by niche construction, together with the competition hierarchy, formed a stable and fixed range for each species with clear boundaries. Our results highlighted the necessity of investigating the adaptive dynamics of niche constructing traits to better understand the eco-evolutionary consequence of niche construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of object-based video forgery is receiving attention in recent years. However, until recently, dominant object-based forgery detectors are still based on hand-crafted features and their performances are not satisfactory. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid deep-learning network which for the first time incorporates two-dimensional/three-dimensional convolutional neural network and recurrent neural network for object-based video forgery detection in videos with advanced encoding formats. Please note that the proposed framework is a full end-to-end data-driven solution. It is comprised of a specifically initialized three-dimensional convolutional layer which tries to mix up primitive intra-frame and inter-frame features, a two-dimensional CNN which tries to extract low-dimensional intra-frame features, and a four-layer bi-directional LSTM network which tries to catch high-level temporal features. Using this way, our proposed approach catches the intra-frame and inter-frame inherent properties of a target video with a united framework. The extensive experiments conducted on the largest object-based forged video database ever reported in the literature show that our hybrid framework achieves superior performance in forged video detection and forged segment localization. Moreover, the experiments conducted on datasets of videos with degraded quality demonstrated that our proposed framework is more robust in real-life scenarios. [Display omitted] • We have proposed a full end-to-end network for object-based video forgery detection. • The extensive experiments show that our framework achieves superior performance. • Moreover, the experiments show our framework is more robust on degraded videos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses a simple yet interesting three-dimensional autonomous quadratic chaotic system, which has two fixed points of saddle-focus type but does not belong to the class of Šil'nikov type since there are neither homoclinic nor heteroclinic orbits. Dynamical behaviors of this chaotic system are investigated in detail through analyzing bifurcation routes, Lyapunov exponents and Poincaré mappings. These investigations partially reveal the mechanism of how chaos in non-Šil'nikov type of systems is generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Now, full field digital mammography (FFDM) is widely used in diagnosis of breast cancer. With the development of FFDM, the radiation dose delivered to the patients involved in an imaging protocol is of utmost concern. Here, we analyzed the average glandular dose (AGD) and entrance surface exposure (ESE) of 1397 patients (6008 images) who underwent mammographic examinations by FFDM in three modes with automatic optimization of parameters (AOP), namely STD for standard mode, CNT for contrast mode and DOSE for dose mode. In addition, exposure factors including kVp, tube loading (mAs), and target/filter combination were evaluated. As a result, the patient dose was sorted as CNT>STD>DOSE. The dose difference among the three AOP modes was mainly attributed to the selection of mAs. The AGD and breast compressed thickness were well correlated in STD and DOSE modes. However, the correlation between CNT-delivered AGD and breast compressed thickness was dependent on the range of the breast thickness and patient age. The findings on dose and exposure characteristics of the three AOP modes get useful message of patient dose in the acquisition of FFDM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Šil'nikov homoclinic theorem provides one analytic criterion for proving the existence of chaos in three-dimensional autonomous nonlinear systems. In applications of the theorem, however, the existence of a homoclinic orbit that usually determines the geometric structure of the chaotic attractor is not easily verified mainly because there are no available efficient methods. In this paper, based on the undetermined coefficient approach we present a framework of how to find homoclinic orbits in two classes of three-dimensional autonomous nonlinear systems of normal forms, including how to set a reasonable form of expanding series of the homoclinic orbit, how to determine all coefficients in the expansion, and how to find a numerical homoclinic orbit. Numerical examples show that the proposed framework in combination with computer simulation is very efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic abilities of 2 post-processing methods provided by GE Senographe DS system, tissue equalization (TE) and premium view (PV) in full field digital mammography (FFDM). Materials and methods: In accordance with the ethical standards of the World Medical Association, this study was approved by regional ethics committee and signed informed patient consents were obtained. We retrospectively reviewed digital mammograms from 101 women (mean age, 47 years; range, 23–81 years) in the modes of TE and PV, respectively. Three radiologists, fully blinded to the post-processing methods, all patient clinical information and histologic results, read images by using objective image interpretation criteria for diagnostic information end points such as lesion border delineation, definition of disease extent, visualization of internal and surrounding morphologic features of the lesions. Also, overall diagnostic impression in terms of lesion conspicuity, detectability and diagnostic confidence was assessed. Between-group comparisons were performed with Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: Readers 1, 2, and 3 demonstrated significant overall better impression of PV in 29, 27, and 24 patients, compared with that for TE in 12, 13, and 11 patients, respectively (p <0.05). Significant (p <0.05) better impression of PV was also demonstrated for diagnostic information end points. Importantly, PV proved to be more sensitive than TE while detecting malignant lesions in dense breast rather than benign lesions and malignancy in non-dense breast (p <0.01). Conclusion: PV compared with TE provides marked better diagnostic information in FFDM, particularly for patients with malignancy in dense breast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: In obesity, oxidative stress is responsible for the aberrant production of adipokines such as adiponectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is causally associated with obesity-related inflammation, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. However, the signaling transduction pathways participating in adipokine dysregulation induced by oxidative stress are largely unknown. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify possible involved signaling pathways. Methods: 3T3-L1 cells were differentiated into adipocytes and underwent oxidative stress by exposure to extraneous H2O2. Quantitative PCR and immunoassays were performed to determine mRNA and protein levels of adipokines (adiponectin, PAI-1 and IL-6), respectively. Possible signaling pathways involved were high-throughout identified by Bioplex phosphoprotein assays and subsequently confirmed by inhibition of the targeted protein kinases such as Akt, ERK1/2, JAK/STAT, JNK, and p70 S6K, respectively. Results: H2O2 markedly suppressed adiponectin mRNA expression as well as protein secretion; however, it enhanced PAI-1 and IL-6 production in mature adipocytes. Akt,JAK/STAT and ERK1/2 participated in the H2O2-induced increase of PAI-1 and IL-6 expression, whereas adiponectin expression was reduced by H2O2 via Akt and JAK/STAT. Conclusions: Akt and JAK/STAT are congenerous pathways through which oxidative stress downregulates adiponectin and upregulates PAI-1 and IL-6 expression. ERK1/2 participates not in H2O2-induced decrease of adiponectin expression, but in the increase of PAI-1 and IL-6. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Low plasma levels of adiponectin (hypoadiponectinemia) and elevated circulating concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 are causally associated with obesity-related insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanism that mediates the aberrant production of these two adipokines in obesity remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia and reactive oxygen species (ROS) on production of adiponectin and PAI-1 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Quantitative PCR and immunoassays showed that ambient hypoxia markedly suppressed adiponectin mRNA expression and its protein secretion, and increased PAI-1 production in mature adipocytes. Dimethyloxallyl glycine, a stabilizer of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), mimicked the hypoxia-mediated modulations of these two adipokines. Hypoxia caused a modest elevation of ROS in adipocytes. However, ablation of intracellular ROS by antioxidants failed to alleviate hypoxia-induced aberrant production of adiponectin and PAI-1. On the other hand, the antioxidants could reverse hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced dysregulation of adiponectin and PAI-1 production. H2O2 treatment decreased the expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBPα), but had no effect on HIF-1α, whereas hypoxia stabilized HIF-1α and decreased expression of C/EBPα, but not PPARγ. Taken together, these data suggest that hypoxia and ROS decrease adiponectin production and augment PAI-1 expression in adipocytes via distinct signaling pathways. These effects may contribute to hypoadiponectinemia and elevated PAI-1 levels in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Due to the ever-growing need for e-business, document presentation attack detection (DPAD) is an important forensic task. With deep learning, the performances of DPAD methods have been improved significantly. However, the cross-domain performance under different types of document images is not yet satisfactory. In this work, we propose to study the document recapturing distortion model (DM), which is employed in guiding the training of an end-to-end surrogate distortion model. This surrogate model is incorporated into the DPAD scheme in an adversarial training fashion, yielding the proposed Adversarial Surrogate-based DPAD (AS-DPAD) scheme. The surrogate model actively generates adversarial samples with recapturing distortions that confuse the DPAD model. Meanwhile, the DPAD backbone learns a latent space that considers the distances between the generated and real recaptured samples to achieve a better generalization performance. A challenging cross-domain protocol is conducted in our experiment. The results confirm that our DM improves the efficacy of the trained surrogate distortion model and also validate that the proposed adversarial training strategy leads to a significant performance gain in the evaluation of document images with different contents. • A distortion model-based GAN to simulate the recapturing distortions of documents. • Incorporate the distortion model with a DPAD framework in an adversarial fashion. • Our adversarial framework applies to DPAD methods with different backbones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are important biological markers and regulators of cardiac function. The natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA), also known as NPR1 or guanylyl cyclase A, binds ANP and BNP to initiate transmembrane signal transduction by elevating the intracellular levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate. However, the effects and mechanisms downstream of NPRA are largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the changes in the global pattern of mRNA and circular RNA (circRNA) expression in NPRA−/− and NPRA+/+ myocardium. Differentially expressed mRNA molecules were characterised using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis and were found to be primarily related to metabolic processes. Moreover, circRNA expression was also examined, and a possible competing endogenous RNA network consisting of circRNA, microRNA (miRNA), and mRNA molecules was constructed. The results of this study indicated that NPRA may play a role in cardiac metabolism, which could be mediated by circRNA through endogenous competition mechanisms. These findings may provide insight into future characterisation of various ceRNA network pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: From previous reviews, there still have been controversies over the effect of metformin (MET) on reproductive function in PCOS patients. The reasons for the inconsistent findings especially lie in the transparency and accuracy of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reports. However, we could find no data about the quality of RCTs reporting in MET for PCOS. Thus, a retrospective survey related to the quality of reporting in MET for PCOS was conducted.Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted by two investigators. Two investigators assessed the quality of overall reporting and key methodological factors reporting using items from the CONSORT 2010 statement.Results: A total of 39 RCTs were included in full text. The median overall quality score was 9, with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 13. Good or general reporting existed in 11 items with positive rate of more than or equal to 50%. The median score of key methodological items was 4 with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 5. Randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, baseline characteristics and intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis were reported in 26 (67%), 19 (49%), 20 (51%), 38 (97%) and 17 (44%) of the 39 RCTs, respectively. After adjustment, the mean overall score increased by about 1.71 for manuscripts with funding source (95% CI, 0.18 to 3.24), while it increased by about 3.51 for manuscripts published in one year increment (95% CI, 1.82 to 5.19). There was a relatively close, significant correlation (r = 0.589, P < 0.001) between the score of overall reporting quality and year of publication.Conclusion: Although the overall reporting quality of RCTs in MET for PCOS has improved over time, reporting of key methodological items remains poor. Reporting of RCTs on MET for PCOS should keep up with the standards of the CONSORT statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is an important biological marker and regulator of cardiac function. BNP resistance is characterized by high concentrations of less functionally effective BNP and common in heart failure (HF) patients. However, the roles and consequences of BNP resistance remain poorly understood. Investigate the effects of cardiac BNP resistance and identify potential metabolic biomarkers for screening and diagnosis. Thirty patients and thirty healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Cardiac functions were evaluated by echocardiography. The plasma levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and BNP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the cGMP/BNP ratio is calculated to determine cardiac natriuretic peptide resistance. Liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based untargeted metabolomics analysis was applied to screen metabolic changes. The cGMP/BNP ratio was markedly lower in HF patients than controls. The cGMP/BNP ratio and ejection fraction (EF) were strongly correlated (R2 = 0.676, P < 0.05). Importantly, metabolic profiles were substantially different between HF patients and healthy controls. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed metabolites are involved in signaling pathways that regulate cardiac functions. In HF patients, BNP resistance develops in association with a reduction in heart function and metabolic remodeling. It suggests possible functional roles of BNP resistance in the regulation of cardiac metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is an important biological marker and regulator of cardiac function. BNP resistance is characterized by high concentrations of less functionally effective BNP and common in heart failure (HF) patients. However, the roles and consequences of BNP resistance remain poorly understood. Investigate the effects of cardiac BNP resistance and identify potential metabolic biomarkers for screening and diagnosis. Thirty patients and thirty healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Cardiac functions were evaluated by echocardiography. The plasma levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and BNP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the cGMP/BNP ratio is calculated to determine cardiac natriuretic peptide resistance. Liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based untargeted metabolomics analysis was applied to screen metabolic changes. The cGMP/BNP ratio was markedly lower in HF patients than controls. The cGMP/BNP ratio and ejection fraction (EF) were strongly correlated (R2 = 0.676, P < 0.05). Importantly, metabolic profiles were substantially different between HF patients and healthy controls. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed metabolites are involved in signaling pathways that regulate cardiac functions. In HF patients, BNP resistance develops in association with a reduction in heart function and metabolic remodeling. It suggests possible functional roles of BNP resistance in the regulation of cardiac metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classification of benign versus malignant breast lesions on multi-sequence Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a challenging task since breast lesions are heterogeneous and complex. Recently, deep learning methods have been used for breast lesion diagnosis with raw image input. However, without the guidance of domain knowledge, these data-driven methods cannot ensure that the features extracted from images are comprehensive for breast cancer diagnosis. Specifically, these features are difficult to relate to clinically relevant phenomena. Inspired by the cognition process of radiologists, we propose a Knowledge-driven Feature Learning and Integration (KFLI) framework, to discriminate between benign and malignant breast lesions using Multi-sequences MRI. Starting from sequence division based on characteristics, we use domain knowledge to guide the feature learning process so that the feature vectors of sub-sequence are constrained to lie in characteristic-related semantic space. Then, different deep networks are designed to extract various sub-sequence features. Furthermore, a weighting module is employed for the integration of the features extracted from different sub-sequence images adaptively. The KFLI is a domain knowledge and deep network ensemble, which can extract sufficient and effective features from each sub-sequence for a comprehensive diagnosis of breast cancer. Experiments on 100 MRI studies have demonstrated that the KFLI achieves sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 84.6%, 85.7% and 85.0%, respectively, which outperforms other state-of-the-art algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to explore aging-associated cardiac dysfunction and the possible mechanism by which swimming exercise modulates cardiac dysfunction in aged mice. Aged mice were divided into two groups: i) Aged mice; and ii) aged mice subjected to swimming exercises. Another cohort of 4-month-old male mice served as the control group. Cardiac structure and function in mice were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin staining, and echocardiography. The levels of oxidative stress were determined by measuring the levels of superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Levels of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related protein PKR-like ER kinase, glucose-regulated protein 78 and C/EBP homologous protein were determined to evaluate the level of ER stress. The aged group exhibited an abnormal cardiac structure and decreased cardiac function, both of which were ameliorated by swimming exercise. The hearts of the aged mice exhibited pronounced oxidative and ER stress, which were ameliorated by exercise, and was accompanied by the reactivation of myocardial cGMP and suppression of cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5). The inhibition of PDE5 attenuated age-induced cardiac dysfunction, blocked ROS production and suppressed ER stress. An ER stress inducer abolished the beneficial effects of the swimming exercise on cardiac function and increased ROS production. The present study suggested that exercise restored cardiac function in mice with age-induced cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting oxidative stress and ER stress, and increasing cGMP-protein kinase G signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence and quantities of ARGs in extracellular and intracellular DNA (eARGs and iARGs) from sediments collected in two different types of aquaculture farms were investigated. A total of 20 ARG subtypes associated with 7 categories of commonly used antibiotics (e.g., aminoglycosides, beta -lactams, sulfonamides, tetracyclines) were identified, and some of these subtypes were not related to the antibiotics used. ARGs are mainly present in the iDNA form with the ratio of the total iARGs to eARGs being in the range of 7.9–45.5. The ratio of eARG to iARGs varies greatly with ARG subtypes, probably due to their differences in persistence as a part of eDNA. Significant correlation between int 1 and ARGs was observed for both eDNA and iDNA in sediments from the aquaculture farms. Moreover, ARG pollution was more serious in bullfrog ponds than polyculture ponds due to the more frequent use of antibiotics in bullfrog rearing operations. Image 1 • ARGs could be detected in both extracellular and intracellular DNA from sediments. • ARGs are mainly present in intracellular DNA in terms of diversity and levels. • Significant correlation between int 1 and ARGs was observed for both eDNA and iDNA. • ARG pollution was more serious in bullfrog farms than in polyculture ponds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • BNP provides the protective effects against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in high glucose/high fat conditions. • BNP provides this beneficial effects by inhibiting ER stress. • BNP inhibits PERK/eIF2a/CHOP signaling through the cGMP-PKG pathway. Abstract Exogenously administered B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been shown to provide cardioprotection against various heart diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. This study explores whether BNP exerts its cardioprotection against hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury under high glucose/high fat (HG/HF) conditions in cardiac H9c2 cells and uncovers the underlying mechanisms. Our data revealed that BNP significantly increased the cell viability and decreased the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK), with a maximal effect at the BNP concentration of 10−7 mol/L. In addition, by analyzing the activation of cleaved caspase-3 and by Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, we showed that BNP attenuated H/R-induced cell apoptosis in HG/HF conditions. Western blot analysis showed enhanced phosphorylation of protein kinase RNA (PKR)-like endoplastmic reticulum (ER) kinase (PERK) and eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α)(one of the three main signaling pathways in endoplastmic reticulum (ER) stress), and increased expression of GRP78 and CHOP proteins (ER stress-related proteins) in H9c2 cells which underwent H/R in HG/HF conditions. Treatment with BNP or 8-Br-cGMP (an analog of cGMP) reversed this activation. However, this effect was significantly weakened by KT-5823, a selective cGMP-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor. In addition, similar to BNP, treatment with a specific inhibitor of ER stress tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) protected the cells against H/R injury exposed to HG/HF conditions. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that BNP effectively protected cells against H/R injury under HG/HF conditions by inhibiting the ER stress via activation of the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miR-133a has been demonstrated to play an important role in tumor progression. The aim of present study was to analyze the correlation between miR-133a expression level and clinicopathologic features and its prognostic significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The expression of miR-133a in 104 pairs of human lung cancer tissues and adjacent normal lung tissues were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Here we show that miR-133a was down-regulated in NSCLC. The levels of miR-133a were negatively correlated with the status of N classification (N0–N1 vs. N2–N3, P = 0.000), clinical stage (I–II vs. III–IV, P = 0.010) and MMP-14 expression (High vs. Low, P = 0.012). The patients with low miR-133a expression had shorter survival time than those with high miR-133a expression. Multivariate analysis indicated that the level of miR-133a expression was an independent prognostic indicator ( P = 0.012) for the survival of patients with NSCLC. In conclusion, decreased expression of miR-133a might be a potential unfavorable prognostic factor for patients with NSCLC, and further studies would be needed to prove our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which discusses the role of vascular epithelial growth factor receptor–tyrosine kinase inhibitors in treating advanced breast cancer. It states that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors play an important role in the regulation of angiogenesis in both physiologic and pathologic conditions. It mentions that clinical benefits of anti-angiogenic agents are reported in colorectal cancer.

Abstract: Background: It was previously reported that propofol, an intravenously administered hypnotic and anesthetic agent, protects organs from ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) is known to play an important role in the oxidative stress–induced apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the role of GSK-3β and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) in the protective effects of propofol against hepatic I/R injury. Materials and methods: The left and median hepatic artery and the portal vein branches were blocked by no-damage artery clips to create the model of partial ischemia (70%), and liver lobes were subjected to warm ischemia for 30, 60, 90 min, respectively. Reperfusion of 120 min was then initiated by the removal of clamp. The MPTP opening was assessed by measuring mitochondrial large amplitude swelling and mitochondrial membrane potential. Results: Pretreatment with propofol in conditions of hepatic I/R inhibits the apoptosis of hepatocytes as evidenced by decreased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling–positive cells. Importantly, propofol suppressed the mitochondrial GSK-3β by promoting or preserving its phosphorylation at Ser9, thus restraining the opening of MPTP and preventing the mitochondrial swell and mitochondrial membrane potential collapse. Conclusions: Propofol protects liver from I/R injury by sustaining the mitochondrial function, which is possibly involved with the modulation of MPTP and GSK-3β. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Context: Peroxynitrite (ONOO−) formation triggers oxidative/nitrative stress and contributes to exacerbated myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Catalpol, an iridoid glycoside, abundantly found in the roots of Rehmannia glutinosa L. that is included in the family Phrymaceae in the order Lamiales, endemic to China, was found to have neuroprotective effects. However, the effect of catalpol on MI/R injury has not been identified. Objective: This study investigated whether catalpol attenuates oxidative/nitrative stress in acute MI/R. Materials and methods: Adult male rats were subjected to 30 min of myocardial ischemia and 3 h of reperfusion and were treated with saline, catalpol (5 mg/kg, i.p., 5 min before reperfusion) or catalpol plus wortmannin (15 µg/kg intraperitoneally injected 15 min before reperfusion). Results: Pretreatment with catalpol significantly improved cardiac functions, reduced myocardial infarction, apoptosis and necrosis of cardiomyocytes after MI/R (all p < 0.05). Meanwhile, ONOO− formation was markedly reduced after catalpol treatment (3.01 ± 0.22 vs. 4.66 ± 0.53 pmol/mg protein in vehicle, p < 0.05). In addition, catalpol increased Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation, nitric oxide (NO) production, anti-oxidant capacity and reduced MI/R-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and superoxide anion (·O2−) production in I/R hearts. PI3K inhibitor wortmannin not only blocked catalpol-induced Akt activation, but also attenuated all the beneficial effects of catalpol. Suppression of ONOO− formation by either catalpol or an ONOO− scavenger uric acid (5 mg/kg) reduced myocardial infarct size in MI/R rats. Discussion and conclusion: In conclusion, catalpol affords cardioprotection against MI/R insult by attenuating ONOO− formation, which is attributable to increased physiological NO and decreased ·O2− production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]