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Background/Aims. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are often used for tumor diagnosis and treatment owing to their high stability, high expression abundance, and strong tissue specificity. The role of hsa_circ_0051908, a newly reported circRNA, in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. Materials and Methods. Hsa_circ_0051908 expression was determined using RT-qPCR. HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration were assessed using CCK-8 assay, EdU staining, TUNEL staining, flow cytometry, and transwell assay. The molecular mechanism was analyzed using western blotting. In addition, the role of hsa_circ_0051908 in tumor growth was evaluated in vivo. Results. Hsa_circ_0051908 expression was increased in both HCC tissues and cell lines. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells were significantly decreased after hsa_circ_0051908 knockdown, while cell apoptosis was notably increased. Furthermore, we found that hsa_circ_0051908 silencing downregulated vimentin and Snail and upregulated E-cadherin. In vivo, hsa_circ_0051908 silencing significantly inhibited the growth of the tumor. Conclusions. Our data provide evidence that hsa_circ_0051908 promotes HCC progression partially by mediating the epithelial–mesenchymal transition process, and it may be used for HCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selective removal of CO2 impurities from C2H2 is important but extremely difficult due to their very similar physical properties and almost identical kinetic diameters. In this work, a hydro-stable 3D porous thulium(III)–organic framework, {[Tm2(OH-bdc)2(μ3-OH)2(H2O)2]·11H2O}n (1) (OH-H2bdc = 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic), functionalized with hydroxyl groups and aqua ligands with an ecu topology is constructed. The activation of 1 at different temperatures realizes two novel porous MOFs (1a and 1a′) with channels of 6.2 × 9.3 and 6.3 × 9.3 Å2 and 6.3 × 10.6 and 9.3 × 12.2 Å2, respectively. 1a and 1a′ show distinctly different ability to separate a CO2/C2H2 mixture. As compared with the poor CO2/C2H2 separation performance of 1a′, 1a shows an excellent capability to selectively capture CO2 from CO2/C2H2 based on the results of single-component adsorption isotherm and breakthrough experiments. The CO2 and C2H2 uptakes on 1a are 5.83 mmol g−1 and 2.01 mmol g−1 at 298 K and 1 bar, respectively. More importantly, 1a achieves a high selectivity for CO2 over C2H2 with an IAST selectivity of 17.5 at 298 K and 1 bar. Furthermore, 1a exhibits good reusability in CO2/C2H2 separation. To the best of our knowledge, 1a represents the first example of lanthanide-based MOFs for CO2/C2H2 separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided continuous hyperthermic intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy (CHIPC) for the treatment of malignant ascites (MA)., Methods: Between July 2011 and June 2013, 36 MA patients were prospectively and consecutively hospitalized for three cycles of elective CHIPC under ultrasound guidance, maintained at a constant flow rate of 400-600 mL/min normal saline containing 5-fluorouracil plus mitomycin or carboplatin and at a constant temperature of 43°C±0.2°C, for 90 minutes. Main outcome measures were ascites resolution, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), and serum tumor biomarkers at 2 weeks after the last cycle of CHIPC. All the patients underwent uneventful CHIPC as scheduled, and vital signs remained stable over CHIPC., Results: At 2 weeks after the last cycle of CHIPC, MA completely and partially resolved in 26 (72.2%) patients and eight (22.2%) patients, respectively; mean KPS score increased from pretreatment 61±9 to posttreatment 76±9 (P<0.001), and serum carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigens 12-5 and 19-9 significantly decreased (all P<0.01)., Conclusion: The current study indicated that ultrasound-guided CHIPC is an effective and safe palliative treatment modality for MA with respect to MA resolution, patient's general well-being, and systemic disease control. The long-term benefit of CHIPC on overall survival remains to be investigated in MA patients.