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Background New evidence from clinical and fundamental researches suggests that SNHG7 is involved in the occurrence and development of carcinomas. And the increased levels of SNHG7 are associated with poor prognosis in various kinds of tumors. However, the small sample size was the limitation for the prognostic value of SNHG7 in clinical application. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to conduct a qualitative analysis to explore the prognostic value of SNHG7 in various cancers. Methods Articles related to the SNHG7 as a prognostic biomarker for cancer patients, were comprehensive searched in several electronic databases. The enrolled articles were qualified via the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology checklists. Additionally, an online database based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was further used to validate our results. Results We analyzed 2418 cancer patients that met the specified criteria. The present research indicated that an elevated SNHG7 expression level was significantly associated with unfavorable overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.45, 95% CI: 2.12–2.85, p p p p p p Conclusions The present analysis suggests that elevated SNHG7 is significantly associated with unfavorable OS, tumor progression, LNM and DM in various carcinomas, and may be served as a promising biomarker to guide therapy for cancer patients.

Background Bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) has been identified as a crucial inducer of osteoblastic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Although microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play a role in MSC osteogenesis, the mechanisms of action of miRNAs in BMP9-induced osteoblastic differentiation remain poorly understood. Methods In this study, we investigate the possible role of the miR17-92 cluster in the BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs by using both in vitro and in vivo bone formation assays. Results The results show that miR-17, a member of the miR17-92 cluster, significantly impairs BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation. This impairment is effectively rescued by a miR-17 sponge, an antagomiR sequence against miR-17. Using TargetScan and the 3′-untranslated region luciferase reporter assays, we show that the direct target of miR-17 is the retinoblastoma gene (RB1), a gene that is pivotal to osteoblastic differentiation. We also confirm that RB1 is essential for the miR-17 effects on osteogenesis. Conclusion Our results indicate that miR-17 expression impairs normal osteogenesis by downregulating RB1 expression and significantly inhibiting the function of BMP9.

Aerodynamic modeling is of great importance for design of axisymmetric aircraft control system. In this paper, an axisymmetric aircraft aerodynamic model selection method is constructed, which involves an orthogonal least squares algorithm using in model structure selection, and the method based on it is selected for determining the aerodynamic coefficients. Then the method is tested in three axis coefficient modeling of a certain axisymmetric aircraft, and the modeling result is consistent with the wind tunnel test data.

The present meta-analysis aimed to analyze available data to identify the prognostic role of NEAT1 in multiple carcinomas. A systematic search was performed by using several computerized databases from inception to June 7, 2017. The quantity of the publications was assessed according to MOOSE checklist. Pooled HRs with 95% CI was calculated to summarize the effect. A total of 12 studies with 3,262 cancer patients were pooled in the analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of NEAT1 in multiple tumors. High expression levels of NEAT1 were demonstrated to be associated with poor OS (HR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.37–2.14, P P P = 0.002) and distant metastasis (HR: 2.80, 95%CI: 1.60–4.91, P = 0.0003) respectively. The results indicate that NEAT1 expression level is a prognostic biomarker for OS and metastasis in general tumors.

// Jia Liu 1, * , Jieru Lin 2, * , Yingqi Li 4 , Yunyuan Zhang 3 and Xian Chen 3 1 Department of Pharmacy, Guiyang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Guiyang 550003, China 2 Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang 550002, China 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, China 4 Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Xian Chen, email: cxkakicoco2014@163.com Keywords: cancer, prognosis, long non-coding RNA, taurine upregulated gene 1 Received: February 25, 2017 Accepted: April 29, 2017 Published: May 13, 2017 ABSTRACT LncRNA TUG1 has been demonstrated to be aberrantly expressed in several types of cancer and maybe serve as a prognostic marker for cancer patients. However, most individual studies have been limited by small sample sizes and controversial results. Therefore, this meta analysis was conducted to analyze available data to delineate the potential clinical application of lncRNA TUG1 on cancer prognosis, lymph node metastasis and tumor progression. Up to February 20, 2017, literature collections were conducted by comprehensive searching electronic databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, BioMed Central, Springer, ScienceDirect, ISI Web of Knowledge, together with three Chinese databases. The hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to assess the strength of the association. Eight studies with a total of 840 cancer patients were included in the present meta analysis. The results indicated that elevated lncRNA TUG1 significantly predicted unfavorable overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.23–3.45, P = 0.006), but failed to show incline to lymph node metastasis (HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.82–1.62, P = 0.40) and disease progression (III/IV vs. I/II: HR 1.16, 95% CI: 0.74–1.81, P = 0.52). In stratified analyses, a significantly unfavorable OS associated with elevated lncRNA TUG1 was observed in both bladder cancer (HR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.84–4.83, P < 0.0001) and other system cancer (HR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.42–4.87, P = 0.002), but not respiratory system cancer (HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.30–2.82, P = 0.895). The results indicated that increased lncRNA TUG1 was an independent prognostic biomarker for unfavorable OS but may not susceptible to lymph node metastasis and tumor progression in cancer patients.

Aims: Growing evidence from recent studies has shown that lncRNA HULC plays a role in the development of multiple carcinomas. This meta-analysis aimed to analyze available data to identify the prognostic value of HULC in multiple tumors. Methods: A systematic search was performed by using PubMed (medline), Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, Springer, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, BioMed Central, ScienceDirect, Wanfang, Weipu, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) computerized databases from inception to Nov 30, 2016. The quality of the publications was assessed according to the critical review checklist of the Dutch Cochrane Centre proposed by MOOSE and PRISMA. Pooled hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to summarize the effect. Results: A total of ten studies with 1077 cancer patients were pooled in the present meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of HULC in multiple tumors. High expression levels of HULC were demonstrated to be associated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR=2.44, 95%CI: 1.96-3.03, P=0.000). Subgroup analysis showed that cancer type (digestive or non-digestive disease), residence region (China), sample size (more or less than 100) and follow-up months (more or less than 60) did not alter the predictive value of HULC on OS in various cancers. Additionally, increased HULC expression was found to be moderately associated with tumor stage and progression (III/IV vs. I/II: HR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.31-1.92, P

PRISMA checklist. (DOCX 18 kb)

MOOSE checklist. (DOCX 15 kb)

BACKGROUND Mounting evidence from recent studies has revealed the association of lncRNA PANDAR expression levels with outcomes in several types of cancer. However, inconsistent results have also been reported, which rationalized a meta-analysis of available data to analyze the prognostic value of lncRNA PANDAR. METHODS From inception to May 26, 2018, electronic literature databases including PubMed (medline), the Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Springer, ISI Web of Knowledge, Wiley Online library, BioMed Central, and Embase were searched for literature collections. The hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were utilized to calculate pooled effect size. RESULTS A total of 1,132 cancer patients were enrolled in the present meta-analysis to assess the prognostic value of PANDAR in various carcinomas. Promoted PANDAR expression was demonstrated to significantly predict unfavorable OS (HR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.12 - 2.80, p = 0.014) by the random effects model. According to the stratified analyses and meta-regression results, the heterogeneity of present analysis may be attributed to the differences of cancer resources. Furthermore, over-expression of PANDAR was revealed to be effectively predictive of cancer progression (HR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.41 - 2.05, p < 0.00001) and LNM (HR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.39 - 2.10, p < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS The present findings indicate that increased PANDAR is associated with poor OS in patients with general carcinomas and may serve as a useful clinical prognostic biomarker.

Aim. There is increasing evidence that high expression levels of the gastric carcinoma highly expressed transcript 1 (GHET1), a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), are associated with cancer prognosis and may be used as a valuable biomarker for cancer patients. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to analyze existing data to reveal potential clinical applications of GHET1 for cancer prognosis and tumor progression. All of these studies included in this meta-analysis were collected through a variety of retrieval strategies; and the enrolled articles were qualified via the meta-analysis of enrolled studies in epidemiology (MOOSE) and the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklists. Materials and Methods. The literature collection was performed by a comprehensive search through electronic databases for studies published on or before March 10, 2019. These included the Cochrane library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Springer, Science Direct, and three Chinese databases: CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang. Seven studies that met the specified criteria were analyzed in the present research. Results. The combined results indicate that an elevated GHET1 expression level is significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR=2.40, 95% CI: 1.87–3.08, p<0.001) and tumor progression (III/IV vs. I/II: HR=1.80, 95% CI: 1.48–2.18, p<0.001) in multiple cancers. The elevated GHET1 expression was also associated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) (HR=2.44, 95% CI: 1.86–3.20, p<0.001) in Chinese cancer patients. Conclusions. The present findings indicate that an increased GHET1 expression level is associated with poor OS, tumor progression, and LNM in patients with multiple tumors and may serve as a useful prognostic biomarker in Chinese cancer patients.

Recently, there are more and more evidences from studies have revealed the association between microRNA-9 (miR-9) expression and outcome in multiple cancers, but inconsistent results have also been reported. It is necessary to rationalize a meta analysis of all available data to clarify the prognostic role of miR-9. Eligible studies were selected through multiple search strategies and the quality was assessed by MOOSE. Data was extracted from studies according to the key statistics index. All analyses were performed using STATA software. Twenty studies were selected in the meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of miR-9 in multiple tumors. MiR-9 expression level was an independent prognostic biomarker for OS in tumor patients using multivariate and univariate analyses. High expression levels of miR-9 was demonstrated to associated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.23, 95 % CI: 1.56–3.17, P

A subject-based feature extraction method is discussed.The feature extraction method combines wavelet packet decomposition, common spatial patterns and fisher distance.The selection of sub-bands based on fisher distance tells apart those useless sub-bands and remain best sub-bands for each subject.The proposed method can extract suitable features for specific subject and achieve a higher classification accuracy than non-subject-based method. Background and objectiveFeature extraction of electroencephalogram (EEG) plays a vital role in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). In recent years, common spatial pattern (CSP) has been proven to be an effective feature extraction method. However, the traditional CSP has disadvantages of requiring a lot of input channels and the lack of frequency information. In order to remedy the defects of CSP, wavelet packet decomposition (WPD) and CSP are combined to extract effective features. But WPD-CSP method considers less about extracting specific features that are fitted for the specific subject. So a subject-based feature extraction method using fisher WPD-CSP is proposed in this paper. MethodsThe idea of proposed method is to adapt fisher WPD-CSP to each subject separately. It mainly includes the following six steps: (1) original EEG signals from all channels are decomposed into a series of sub-bands using WPD; (2) average power values of obtained sub-bands are computed; (3) the specified sub-bands with larger values of fisher distance according to average power are selected for that particular subject; (4) each selected sub-band is reconstructed to be regarded as a new EEG channel; (5) all new EEG channels are used as input of the CSP and a six-dimensional feature vector is obtained by the CSP. The subject-based feature extraction model is so formed; (6) the probabilistic neural network (PNN) is used as the classifier and the classification accuracy is obtained. ResultsData from six subjects are processed by the subject-based fisher WPD-CSP, the non-subject-based fisher WPD-CSP and WPD-CSP, respectively. Compared with non-subject-based fisher WPD-CSP and WPD-CSP, the results show that the proposed method yields better performance (sensitivity: 88.7?0.9%, and specificity: 91?1%) and the classification accuracy from subject-based fisher WPD-CSP is increased by 6-12% and 14%, respectively. ConclusionsThe proposed subject-based fisher WPD-CSP method can not only remedy disadvantages of CSP by WPD but also discriminate helpless sub-bands for each subject and make remaining fewer sub-bands keep better separability by fisher distance, which leads to a higher classification accuracy than WPD-CSP method.

Background Increasing evidence revealed that high expression level of lncRNA SNHG1 was associated with the unfavorable prognosis of cancer and maybe used as a valuable biomarker for cancer patients. The present meta->analysis is to analyze existing data to reveal potential clinical application of SNHG1 on cancer prognosis and tumor progression. All of the included studies were collected through a variety of retrieval strategies. And the articles were qualified by MOOSE and PRISMA checklists. Methods Up to Mar 20, 2018, literature collection was performed by comprehensive search through electronic databases, including the Cochrane library, PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Springer, Science direct, and three Chinese databases: CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang. We analyzed 14 studies that met the criteria, and concluded that the increased SHNG1 level was correlated with poor OS and tumor progression. Results The combined results indicated that elevated SNHG1 expression level was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.69–2.52, P

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators of normal and malignant hematopoiesis. In previous studies of acute myeloid leukemia miR-9 overexpression was commonly observed. Here, we show that ectopic expression of miR-9 in vitro and in vivo significantly blocks differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells with an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Consistent with this observation, ROS scavenging enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (Sod2), Catalase (Cat), and glutathine peroxidase (Gpx1), are down-regulated by miR-9. In addition, miR-9 suppresses expression of the erythroid transcriptional regulator FoxO3, and its down-stream targets Btg1 and Cited 2 in erythroid progenitor cells, while expression of a constitutively active form of FoxO3 (FoxO3-3A) reverses miR-9-induced suppression of erythroid differentiation, and inhibits miR-9-induced ROS production. Thus, our findings indicate that aberrant expression of miR-9 blocks erythropoiesis by deregulating FoxO3-mediated pathways, which may contribute to the ineffective erythropoiesis observed in patients with hematological malignancies.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Myeloid-specific S100 proteins (S100s), namely, S100A8, S100A9 and S100A12, have been recently recognized as newly discovered damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that are correlated with progression in pathogen of infectious diseases. However, whether S100s are regulated by HBV and involved in HBV-related hepatocarcinogenesis are still unclear. Here, we found that all expression levels of myeloid-specific S100s (S100A8, S100A9 and S10012) were elevated in serum and tissue samples from HCC patients. Expression of S100A9 but not S100A8 and S10012 were also higher in blood serum and tissue samples from HBV-positive HCC patients than that in HBV-negative HCC patients. High levels of intracellular and extracellular S100A9 were also confirmed in HepG2 cells expressing 1.3-fold HBV genome or HBV-encoded X protein (HBx) as well as in a stable HBV-producing cell line HepG2.2.15. HBx was shown to facilitate translocation of NF-κB from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, and NF-κB bound to the promoter of S100A9 to enhance its transcription. Silencing S100A9 expression partially blocked HBx-induced growth and metastasis of HepG2 cells both in vitro and in vivo. Further, serum S100A9 levels were found to correlate with TNM stage, extrahepatic metastasis status and HBV DNA load in HBV-related HCC and also had a better diagnostic value for identifying extrahepatic metastasis. Our these data demonstrate that S100A9 plays a pivotal role in HBx-induced growth and metastasis of HCC and may serve as a potential diagnostic marker for extrahepatic metastasis.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of the TGF-β superfamily signaling factors. Expression of several BMPs (BMP2, BMP4, and BMP7) is correlated to poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients. The function of BMP9, the latest discovered and most powerful osteogenetic factor, in gastric cancer is relatively unclear. In this report, we investigated the expression, function and underlying molecular mechanisms of BMP9 in gastric cancer. The results show that BMP9 expression was markedly decreased in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. Enforced BMP9 expression in the gastric cancer cell lines SGC-7901 and MNK-45 increased apoptosis and reduced viability and migration. The in vivo function of BMP9 was evaluated in a xenograft mouse model. Tumors derived from SGC-7901 cells with enforced BMP9 expression (SGC-7901/BMP9) showed significantly reduced size and weight compared to that from control cells. Enforced BMP9 expression resulted in decreased Akt activity shown as lower levels of phosphorylation at Ser473 and Thr308 in Akt. The PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002 potentiated BMP9's viability and migration suppression, and apoptosis induction, which was associated with reduced expression of snail and VEGF and increased expression of E-cadherin. In addition, tumors derived from SGC-7901/BMP9 showed reduced Akt activity and VEGF expression, and increased E-cadherin expression. Therefore, our studies reveal for the first time that inhibition of the PI3K-Akt pathway is involved in the tumor suppressor effects of BMP9 in gastric cancer.

Five dihydrochalcone compounds, including phlorizin, trilobatin, 3-hydroxyphlorizin, sieboldin and phloretin 2'-xyloglucoside, were isolated from ornamental Malus 'Red Splendor' fruit. The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated by LC-ESI-MS and NMR. Phloretin and 3-hydroxyphloretin were produced by hydrolysis. The antioxidant capacities of these seven compounds were examined by DPPH and ABTS assays, while their cytotoxicity to five cancer cell lines were evaluated by the MTT assay. The results showed that the DPPH assay mainly reflected the antioxidant capacity of the B ring, whereas the ABTS assay was mostly related to the A ring of the dihydrochalcone molecule. Moreover, 3-hydroxyphloretin was the best antioxidant among the seven compounds. Both glycosylation of the A ring and the ortho phenolic hydroxyl groups of the B ring were important for the cytotoxicity of dihydrochalcone molecules. Sieboldin and 3-hydroxyphlorizin exhibited better cytotoxicity than other dihydrochalcone compounds. Dihydrochalcones from Malus may benefit human health.

SOX2OT has been demonstrated to be aberrantly expressed in several types of cancer and maybe serve as a prognostic marker for cancer patients. However, most individual studies have been limited by small sample sizes and controversial results. Therefore, the present meta-analysis was conducted to analyze available data to reveal the potential clinical application of SOX2OT on cancer prognosis, tumor progression, distance metastasis and lymph node metastasis. Up to February 20, 2017, literature collections were conducted by comprehensive searching electronic databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, BioMed Central, Springer, ScienceDirect, ISI Web of Knowledge, together with three Chinese databases: China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), Weipu and Wanfang. The hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to assess the strength of the association. Five studies with a total of 481 cancer patients were included in the present meta-analysis. The results indicated that elevated SOX2OT significantly predicted unfavorable overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.75-3.39, P

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most deadly cancers worldwide. Significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of CRC, which has led to successful early diagnosis, surgical intervention and combination chemotherapy. However, limited therapeutic options are available for metastatic and/or drug-resistant CRC. While the aberrantly activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a critical initiating role in CRC development, disruption of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway causes juvenile polyposis syndrome, suggesting that BMP signaling may play a role in CRC development. However, conflicting results have been reported concerning the possible roles of BMP signaling in sporadic colon cancer. Here, we investigated the effect of BMP2 on the proliferation, migration, invasiveness and tumor growth capability of human CRC cells. Using an adenovirus vector that overexpresses BMP2 and the piggyBac transposon-mediated stable BMP2 overexpression CRC line, we found that exogenous BMP2 effectively inhibited HCT116 cell proliferation and colony formation. BMP2 was shown to suppress colon cancer cell migration and invasiveness. Under a low serum culture condition, forced expression of BMP2 induced a significantly increased level of apoptosis in HCT116 cells. Using a xenograft tumor model, we found that forced expression of BMP2 in HCT116 cells suppressed tumor growth, accompanied by decreased cell proliferation activity. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that BMP2 plays an important inhibitory role in governing the proliferation and aggressive features of human CRC cells.

MicroRNA-9 (miR-9) is emerging as a critical regulator of organ development and neurogenesis. It is also deregulated in several types of solid tumors; however, its role in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis is not yet known. Here we show that miR-9 is detected in hematopoietic stem cells and hematopoietic progenitor cells, and that its expression increases during hematopoietic differentiation. Ectopic expression of miR-9 strongly accelerates terminal myelopoiesis and promotes apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, in hematopoietic progenitor cells, the inhibition of miR-9 with a miRNA sponge blocks myelopoiesis. Ecotropic viral integration site 1 (EVI1), required for normal embryogenesis, is considered an oncogene because its inappropriate up-regulation induces malignant transformation in solid and hematopoietic cancers. Here we show that EVI1 binds to the promoter of miR-9-3, leading to DNA hypermethylation of the promoter and repression of miR-9. Moreover, miR-9 expression reverses a myeloid differentiation block that is induced by EVI1. Our findings indicate that EVI1, when inappropriately expressed, delays or blocks myeloid differentiation at least in part by DNA hypermethylation and down-regulation of miR-9. It was reported that Forkhead box class O genes ( FoxO s) inhibit myeloid differentiation and prevent differentiation of leukemia-initiating cells. Here we identify both FoxO1 and FoxO3 as direct targets of miR-9 in hematopoietic cells and find that up-regulation of FoxO3 inhibits miR-9–induced myelopoiesis. These results reveal a unique role of miR-9 in myelopoiesis and in the pathogenesis of EVI1-induced myeloid neoplasms and provide insights into the epigenetic regulation of miR9 in tumorigenesis.

Three kinds of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants have been discovered and have been shown to be widely distributed among clinical isolates: qnr genes, aac(6 ′ )-Ib-cr , and qepA . Few data on the prevalence of these determinants in strains from animals are available. The presence of PMQR genes in isolates from animals was determined by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. The production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC β-lactamases in the strains was detected, and their genotypes were determined. The genetic environment of PMQR determinants in selected plasmids was analyzed. All samples of ceftiofur-resistant (MICs ≥ 8 μg/ml) isolates of the family Enterobacteriaceae were selected from 36 companion animals and 65 food-producing animals in Guangdong Province, China, between November 2003 and April 2007, including 89 Escherichia coli isolates, 9 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, and isolates of three other genera. A total of 68.3% (69/101) of the isolates produced ESBLs and/or AmpC β-lactamases, mainly those of the CTX-M and CMY types. Of the 101 strains, PMQR determinants were present in 35 (34.7%) isolates, with qnr, aac(6 ′ )-Ib - cr , and qepA detected alone or in combination in 8 (7.9%), 19 (18.8%), and 16 (15.8%) strains, respectively. The qnr genes detected included one qnrB4 gene, four qnrB6 genes, and three qnrS1 genes. Five strains were positive for both aac(6 ′ )-Ib - cr and qepA , while one strain was positive for qnrS1, aac(6 ′ )-Ib - cr , and qepA. qnrB6 was flanked by two copies of IS CR1 with an intervening dfr gene downstream and sul1 and qacE Δ 1 genes upstream. In another plasmid, aac(6 ′ )-Ib-cr followed intI1 and arr-3 was downstream. PMQR determinants are highly prevalent in ceftiofur-resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from animals in China. This is the first report of the occurrence of PMQR determinants among isolates from companion animals.

Numerous individual studies evaluating the relationship between CD44V6 over-expression and prognostic impact in patients with osteosarcoma (OS) have yielded in conclusive results. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the value of cell adhesion molecule CD44V6 in prognosis of OS by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. A comprehensive search was conducted using PubMed (medline), Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, Springer, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, BioMed Central, ScienceDirect, Wanfang, Weipu, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) databases from inception through May 26, 2015. All available articles written in English or Chinese that investigated the expression of CD44V6 and the prognosis of OS were included. The quantity of the studies was evaluated according to the critical review checklist of the Dutch Cochrane Centre proposed by MOOSE. Finally, a total of eight studies with 486 OS patients were involved and the results indicated that the positive expression of CD44V6 predicts neoplasm metastasis (RR = 1.76, 95 % CI 1.38–2.25, p

Presents the completed MOOSE checklist for the meta-analysis. (DOC 58Â kb)

In order to remove artifacts automatically and effectively from the Electroencephalography (EEG) in Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs), a new preprocessing algorithm called EMD-ICA (Empirical Mode Decomposition, Independent Component Analysis) is explored. The EMD-ICA method includes the following steps: Firstly, EEG signals from single or multiple channels are decomposed into a series of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) using EMD. Each IMF can be approximately used as an input channel of the ICA, and these IMFs constitute the input matrix of the ICA. Then, the input matrix is separated into a set of statistics independent components (ICs) by ICA. Furthermore, each of statistics ICs is analyzed by using the method of sample entropy to automatically determine whether it is artifact signal. Finally, the ICs determined as artifacts are eliminated and the remaining ICs are reconstructed. The reconstructed EEG is used in the following feature extraction and classification. To evaluate the effect of the proposed method, common spatial patterns (CSP) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithm are used to extract and classify the EEG data from two datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed method can remove various kinds of artifacts effectively, and improve the recognition accuracy greatly.

Background and Objective S100A8 and S100A9, two members of the S100 protein family, have been reported in association with the tumor cell differentiation and tumor progression. Previous study has showed that their expression in stromal cells of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is associated with tumor size. Here, we investigated the clinical significances of S100A8 and S100A9 in tumor cells of CRC and their underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods Expression of S100A8 and S100A9 in colorectal carcinoma and matching distal normal tissues were measured by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry and western blot. CRC cell lines treated with the recombinant S100A8 and S100A9 proteins were used to analyze the roles and molecular mechanisms of the two proteins in CRC in vitro. Results S100A8 and S100A9 were elevated in more than 50% of CRC tissues and their expression in tumor cells was associated with differentiation, Dukes stage and lymph node metastasis. The CRC cell lines treatment with recombinant S100A8 and S100A9 proteins promoted the viability and migration of CRC cells. Furthermore, the two recombinant proteins also resulted in the increased levels of β-catenin and its target genes c-myc and MMP7. β-catenin over-expression in CRC cells by Adβ-catenin increased cell viability and migration. β-catenin knock-down by Adsiβ-catenin reduced cell viability and migration. Furthermore, β-catenin knockdown also partially abolished the promotive effects of recombinant S100A8 and S100A9 proteins on the viability and migration of CRC cells. Conclusions Our work demonstrated that S100A8 and S100A9 are linked to the CRC progression, and one of the underlying molecular mechanisms is that extracellular S100A8 and S100A9 proteins contribute to colorectal carcinoma cell survival and migration via Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

The S100A9 protein, a member of the S100 protein family, is often upregulated in various types of cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). S100A9 acts as a danger signal when secreted to the extracellular space and is thought to play an important role during tumorigenesis. Despite this fact, little is known about the effects of S100A9 in the tumor microenvironment on HCC. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of exogenous S100A9 on the proliferation and invasion of HepG2 HCC cells, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. Our results demonstrated that exogenous S100A9 promoted the proliferation, clone formation and invasion of HepG2 cells in vitro, as shown by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltrazolium bromide (MTT), clone formation and transwell invasion assays, respectively, and also promoted tumor growth in vivo by tumorigenicity assays in nude mice. Furthermore, S100A9 increased the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in HepG2 cells. When the phosphorylation of p38 was inhibited by SB203580 (a p38 inhibitor), the S100A9-induced cell invasion was reversed; when the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was inhibited by PD98059 (an ERK1/2 inhibitor), the S100A9-induced cell proliferation was reversed. These data suggest that the S100A9-induced proliferation and invasion of HepG2 cells are partly mediated by the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway.

Evodiamine-induced apoptosis has been shown to have anticancer activity by eradication of some carcinoma cell lines. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of evodiamine on the viability of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells and to define the cell death pathway. Flow cytometry detection showed that 1.5 μM evodiamine significantly induced SGC-7901 cell apoptosis in a time-dependent manner. This apoptosis was partially inhibited by the pancaspase inhibitor carbobenzoxy-valyl-alanyl-aspartyl-[O-methyl]-fluoro-methylketone, which suggests that evodiamine-induced apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells is partially caspase independent. Further, the total content of sphingomyelin was decreased and expression of acid sphingomyelinase (aSMase) and neutral SMase genes in the SGC-7901cells was upregulated. Protein expression of aSMase, which was exposed to evodiamine, was shown to be increased by western blot analysis and could have been responsible for inducing caspase-independent apoptosis. Our results indicate that evodiamine stimulates upregulation of aSMase expression and hydrolysis of sphingomyelin into ceramide, which might be one of the mechanisms by which apoptosis occurs in SGC-7901 cells.

Three kinds of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants have been discovered and have been shown to be widely distributed among clinical isolates: qnr genes, aac(6')-Ib-cr, and qepA. Few data on the prevalence of these determinants in strains from animals are available. The presence of PMQR genes in isolates from animals was determined by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. The production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC beta-lactamases in the strains was detected, and their genotypes were determined. The genetic environment of PMQR determinants in selected plasmids was analyzed. All samples of ceftiofur-resistant (MICsor = 8 microg/ml) isolates of the family Enterobacteriaceae were selected from 36 companion animals and 65 food-producing animals in Guangdong Province, China, between November 2003 and April 2007, including 89 Escherichia coli isolates, 9 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, and isolates of three other genera. A total of 68.3% (69/101) of the isolates produced ESBLs and/or AmpC beta-lactamases, mainly those of the CTX-M and CMY types. Of the 101 strains, PMQR determinants were present in 35 (34.7%) isolates, with qnr, aac(6')-Ib-cr, and qepA detected alone or in combination in 8 (7.9%), 19 (18.8%), and 16 (15.8%) strains, respectively. The qnr genes detected included one qnrB4 gene, four qnrB6 genes, and three qnrS1 genes. Five strains were positive for both aac(6')-Ib-cr and qepA, while one strain was positive for qnrS1, aac(6')-Ib-cr, and qepA. qnrB6 was flanked by two copies of ISCR1 with an intervening dfr gene downstream and sul1 and qacEDelta1 genes upstream. In another plasmid, aac(6')-Ib-cr followed intI1 and arr-3 was downstream. PMQR determinants are highly prevalent in ceftiofur-resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from animals in China. This is the first report of the occurrence of PMQR determinants among isolates from companion animals.

Abstract 2332 MicroRNA-9 (miR-9) is required for normal neurogenesis and organ development. The expression of miR-9 is altered in several types of solid tumors suggesting that it may have a function in cell transformation. However the role of this miR in normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis is unknown. Here we show that miR-9 is expressed at low levels in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSCs/HPCs), and that it is upregulated during hematopoietic differentiation. Ectopic expression of miR-9 strongly accelerates terminal myelopoiesis, while promoting apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the inhibition of miR-9 in HPC with a miRNA sponge blocks myelopoiesis. EVI1, required for normal embryogenesis, and is considered an oncogene because inappropriate upregulation induces malignant transformation in solid and hematopoietic cancers. In vitro, EVI1 severely affects myeloid differentiation. Here we show that EVI1 binds to the promoter of miR-9–3 leading to DNA hypermethylation of the promoter as well as repression of miR-9. We also show that ectopic miR-9 reverses the myeloid differentiation block that is induced by EVI1. Our findings suggest that inappropriately expressed EVI1 delays or blocks myeloid differentiation, at least in part by DNA hypermethylation and downregulation of miR-9. It was previously reported that FoxOs genes inhibit myeloid differentiation and prevent differentiation of leukemia initiating cells. Here we identify FoxO3 and FoxO1 as new direct targets of miR-9 in hematopoietic cells, and we find that upregulation of FoxO3 in miR-9-positive cells reduces the acceleration of myelopoiesis. These results reveal a novel role of miR-9 in myelopoiesis and in the pathogenesis of EVI1-induced myeloid neoplasms. They also provide new insights on the potential chromatin-modifying role of oncogenes in epigenetic changes in cancer cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.