Analysis of the autophagy gene expression profile of pancreatic cancer based on autophagy-related protein microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3

BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is a highly invasive malignant tumor. Expression levels of the autophagy-related protein microtubule-associated protein 1 A/1 B-light chain 3(LC3) and perineural invasion(PNI) are closely related to its occurrence and development. Our previous results showed that the high expression of LC3 was positively correlated with PNI in the patients with pancreatic cancer. In this study, we further searched for differential genes involved in autophagy of pancreatic cancer by gene expression profiling and analyzed their biological functions in pancreatic cancer, which provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the pathophysiological mechanism of autophagy in pancreatic cancer and PNI.AIM To identify differentially expressed genes involved in pancreatic cancer autophagy and explore the pathogenesis at the molecular level.METHODS Two sets of gene expression profiles of pancreatic cancer/normal tissue(GSE16515 and GSE15471) were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus.Significance analysis of microarrays algorithm was used to screen differentially expressed genes related to pancreatic cancer. Gene Ontology(GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis were used to analyze the functional enrichment of the differentially expressed genes. Protein interaction data containing only differentially expressed genes was downloaded from String database and screened. Module mining was carried out by Cytoscape software and ClusterOne plug-in. The interaction relationship between the modules was analyzed and the pivot nodes between the functional modules were determined according to the information of the functional modules and the data of reliable protein interaction network.RESULTS Based on the above two data sets of pancreatic tissue total gene expression, 6098 and 12928 differentially expressed genes were obtained by analysis of genes with higher phenotypic correlation. After extracting the intersection of the two differential gene sets, 4870 genes were determined. GO analysis showed that 14 significant functional items including negative regulation of protein ubiquitination were closely related to autophagy. A total of 986 differentially expressed genes were enriched in these functional items. After eliminating the autophagy related genes of human cancer cells which had been defined, 347 differentially expressed genes were obtained. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the pathways hsa04144 and hsa04020 were related to autophagy. In addition,65 clustering modules were screened after the protein interaction network was constructed based on String database, and module 32 contains the LC3 gene,which interacts with multiple autophagy-related genes. Moreover, ubiquitin C acts as a pivot node in functional modules to connect multiple modules related to pancreatic cancer and autophagy.CONCLUSION Three hundred and forty-seven genes associated with autophagy in human pancreatic cancer were concentrated, and a key gene ubiquitin C which is closely related to the occurrence of PNI was determined, suggesting that LC3 may influence the PNI and prognosis of pancreatic cancer through ubiquitin C.

Study on Interaction Between Soil and Anchor Chain with Finite Element Method

With the development of offshore engineering, deeply embedded anchors are needed to be penetrated to appreciable depth and attached at the pad-eye. The interaction between anchor chain and soil is a very complex process and has not been thoroughly understood yet. In this paper, the finite element method （FEM） was used to study the interaction of soil-chain system. Results of the analysis show that when the attachment point is at a shallow depth, the load-development characteristics of the chain from FEM are in good agreement with that from the model tests and theoretical analysis. But with the depth increment, the results are different obviously in different methods. This phenomenon is resulted from a variety of reasons, and the plastic zone around the chain was studied to try finding the mechanism behind it. It could be seen that the plastic zone extended in different modes at different depths of attachment points. The interaction between the soil and anchor chain makes the load acting on the anchor decrease, but the soil disturbed surrounding the chain increases the anchor failure possibility. When the anchor bearing capacity is evaluated, these two factors should be considered properly at the same time.

Inherent Numerical Instability in Computing Invariant Measures of Markov Chains

Invariant measures of Markov chains in discrete or continuous time with a countable set of states are characterized by its steady state recurrence relations. Exemplarily, we consider transition matrices and Q-matrices with upper bandwidth n and lower bandwidth 1 where the invariant measures satisfy an (n + 1)-order linear difference equation. Markov chains of this type arise from applications to queueing problems and population dynamics. It is the purpose of this paper to point out that the forward use of this difference equation is subject to some hitherto unobserved aspects. By means of the concept of generalized continued fractions (GCFs), we prove that each invariant measure is a dominated solution of the difference equation such that forward computation becomes numerically unstable. Furthermore, the GCF-based approach provides a decoupled recursion in which the phenomenon of numerical instability does not appear. The procedure results in an iteration scheme for successively computing approximants of the desired invariant measure depending on some truncation level N. Increasing N leads to the desired solution. A comparison study of forward computation and the GCF-based approach is given for Q-matrices with upper bandwidth 1 and 2.

一维链状2-氧-1(4H)-吡啶乙酸桥联钙配位聚合物[Ca(2-OPA)_2(H_2O)_2]_n的合成、晶体结构及热稳定性研究

A novel coordination polymer of [Ca(2-OPA)2(H2O)2]n (2-OPA-=2-oxo-1(4H)-pyridineacetate anion) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, TG and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The title complex crystallizes in orthorhombic with space group Pna21, a=0.799 96(16) nm, b=0.823 77(16) nm, c=2.415 3(5) nm, V=1.591 6(6) nm3, Z=4, R=0.030 3, wR=0.070 0. The Ca atom is eight-coordinated by six O atoms of four 2-OPA- ligands and two water molecules, and displays a dodecahedron coordination geometry. Each 2-OPA- ligand bridges two adjacent Ca atoms, forming a infinite chain along the a direction. The Ca...Ca distance is 0.4102 2(8)nm. A two-dimensional supramolecular framework is further constructed by the hydrogen bonds and the weak π-π interactions. The results of TG analysis show the chain structure of the title complex was stable under 297.5 ℃. CCDC: 251669.

Use of blood-based biomarkers for early diagnosis and surveillance of colorectal cancer

Early screening for colorectal cancer(CRC) holds the key to combat and control the increasing global burden of CRC morbidity and mortality. However, the current available screening modalities are severely inadequate because of their high cost and cumbersome preparatory procedures that ultimately lead to a low participation rate. People simply do not like to have colonoscopies. It would be ideal, therefore, to develop an alternative modality based on blood biomarkers as the first line screening test. This will allow for the differentiation of the general population from high risk individuals. Colonoscopy would then become the secondary test, to further screen the high risk segment of the population. This will encourage participation and therefore help to reach the goal of early detection and thereby reduce the anticipated increasing global CRC incidence rate. A blood-based screening test is anappealing alternative as it is non-invasive and poses minimal risk to patients. It is easy to perform, can be repeated at shorter intervals, and therefore would likely lead to a much higher participation rate. This review surveys various blood-based test strategies currently under investigation, discusses the potency of what is available, and assesses how new technology may contribute to future test design.

Hepatitis C virus in human B lymphocytes transformed by Epstein-Barr virus in vitro by in situ reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction

AIM: To study persistence and replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured in vitro. METHODS: Epstein Barr virus (EBV) was used to transform the hepatitis C virus from a HCV positive patient to permanent lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL). Positive and negative HCV RNA strands of the cultured cells and growth media were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) each month. Core and NS5 proteins of HCV were further tested using immunohistochemical SP method and in situ RT-PCR. RESULTS: HCV RNA positive strands were consistently detected the cultured cells for one year. The negative-strand RNA in LCL cells and the positive-strand RNA in supernatants were observed intermittently. Immunohistochemical results medicated expression of HCV NS3 and C proteins in LCL cytoplasm mostly. The positive signal of PCR product was dark blue and mainly localized to the LCL cytoplasm. The RT-PCR signal was eliminated by overnight RNase digestion but not DNase digestion. CONCLUSION: HCV may exist and remain functional in a cultured cell line for a long period.

Atomically dispersed Fe atoms anchored on N-doped carbon hollow nanospheres boost the electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction

Oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)is the key reaction at the cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)and metal-air batteries(1)To address the challenges associated with Pt-based electrocatalysts having prominent activity for ORR,e.g.scarce abundance,prohibitive cost,poor stability,and vulnerability to reaction intermediates,it is necessary to explore other cost-effective ORR electrocatalysts with competitive or even superior performance to promote the commercialization of the energy conversion devices.

The Homotopic Probability Distribution and the Partition Function for the Entangled System Around a Ribbon Segment Chain

Using the Feynman's path integral with topological constraints arising from the presence of one singular line, we find the homotopic probability distribution PnL for the winding number n and the partition function PL of the entangled system around a ribbon segment chain. We find that when the width of the ribbon segment chain 2a increases,the partition function exponentially decreases, whereas the free energy increases an amount, which is proportional to the square of the width. When the width tends to zero we obtain the same results as those of a single chain with one singular point.

一维链状4-羧基苯氧乙酸桥联钴配位聚合物[Co(p-CPOA)(2,2'-bipy)(H_2O)]_n的合成与晶体结构

A novel coordination polymer of [Co( p-CPOA)(2,2′-bipy)(H2O)]n ( p-CPOA2-=4-carboxylphenoxyacetate dianion, 2,2′-bipy=2,2′-bipyridine) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and X-ray single crystal diffraction. The title complex crystallizes in monoclinic space group C2/c, with a=1.424 4(3) nm, b=1.316 6(3) nm, c=1.947 7(4) nm, β=104.56(3)°. V=3.535 3(14) nm3, Z=8, R=0.028 5, wR=0.089 1. The cobalt(Ⅱ) ion displays a distorted octahedral coordination geometry, defined by three carboxyl oxygen atoms from different p-CPOA2- groups, two nitrogen atoms from 2,2′-bipyridine ligand and one water molecule. The cobalt atoms are bridged by p-CPOA2- groups, forming a one-dimensional chain structure along a axis. The adjacent Co...Co atoms distance is 0.996 8 nm. A layer supramolecular network is contrsucted by the hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions. CCDC: 220039.

胃肠道间质瘤60例中c-kit和PDGFRA基因突变的检测

目的: 探讨c kit基因和PDGFRA基因在我国胃肠道间质瘤(GIST)中的突变状况。方法: 用PCR扩增和直接测序的方法,检测60例GISTc kit基因9号、11号、13号和17号外显子突变以及PDGFRA基因12号和18外显子突变。结果: 60例GIST中kit基因突变率为63. 3%,绝大多数为杂合性突变,少数为纯合性突变。其中以编码近膜区的11号外显子突变最为常见(58. 3% );其次为编码胞外区的9号外显子突变(3. 3% );偶见编码胞内酪氨酸激酶结构域的13号外显子突变(1. 7% ),是一个新的突变位点L641P;未检出17号外显子突变。11号外显子的突变位点多集中在5′端的经典热点(42. 9% ),表现为密码子第557 -560的点突变和框内缺失。第二个热点位于11号外显子的3′端,为框内串联重复。后者主要发生在胃部,女性患者多见。60例GIST中PDGFRA基因突变率为5%,表现为编码胞内酪氨酸激酶结构域的18号外显子D842V点突变,且均为CD117阴性。未见编码近膜区的12号外显子突变。结论:CD117阳性GIST主要表现为c kit突变,分布在11号外显子经典热点和3′端热点,后者与老年女性胃GIST相关。PDGFRA基因突变主要见于CD117阴性GIST,多发生在后腹膜,具高度侵袭危险性。

Evaluation of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for Diagnosis of Peroxisomal Diseases with Abnormal Very-Long-Chain Fatty Acid Metabolism

Very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) are accumulated in cells and blood in patients with peroxisomal diseases, such as adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and Zellwger Syndrome (ZS). The purpose of this study is to investigate usefulness of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with attenuated total reflection (ATR) analysis method for clinical diagnosis of those diseases, thereby we measured the infrared spectra of the sera of patients and healthy controls. Correlation coefficients between 2nd derivative FTIR spectra of the serum samples and the VLCFA content ratio which is used as a clinical parameter to date were comprehensively calculated to investigate which wavenumber showed high correlation with the VLCFA ratio. Multiple regression analysis using the serum FTIR spectra showed that high correlations were observed with VLCFA ratios (C26:0/C22:0 ratio), and we could construct a suitable regression model (R2 = 0.97, p ﹣19). In addition, the model system using various VLCFAs in newborn bovine serum also showed that several FTIR peaks in 800 ~ 900 cm﹣1 region were found to have good correlation with VLCFA ratios. Our results support that FTIR analysis is useful for diagnosis of peroxisomal diseases.

Identifying the dependency pattern of daily rainfall of Dhaka station in Bangladesh using Markov chain and logistic regression model

Bangladesh is a subtropical monsoon climate characterized by wide seasonal variations in rainfall, moderately warm temperatures, and high humidity. Rainfall is the main source of irrigation water everywhere in the Bangladesh where the inhabitants derive their income primarily from farming. Stochastic rainfall models were concerned with the occurrence of wet day and depth of rainfall for different regions to model the daily occurrence of rainfall and achieved satisfactory results around the world. In connection to the Markov chain of different order, logistic regression is conducted to visualize the dependence of current rainfall upon the rainfall of previous two-time period. It had been shown that wet day of the previous two time period compared to the dry day of previous two time period influences positively the wet day of current time period, that is the dependency of dry-wet spell for the occurrence of rain in the rainy season from April to September in the study area. Daily data are collected from meteorological department of about 26 years on rainfall of Dhaka station during the period January 1985-August 2011 to conduct the study. The test result shows that the occurrence of rainfall follows a second order Markov chain and logistic regression also tells that dry followed by dry and wet followed by wet is more likely for the rainfall of Dhaka station and also the model could perform adequately for many applications of rainfall data satisfactorily.

配合物[Cu(HPHAc)_2(py)_2](H_2PHAc=苯羟乙酸,py=吡啶)的合成和晶体结构

The novel copper(Ⅱ) complex with α-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (H2PHAc) and pyridine (py) ligands, [Cu(HPHAc)2(py)2], has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and IR spectroscopy. Its crystal structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The crystal belongs to monoclinic with space group C2/c. The cell parameters are: a=1.712 5(3) nm, b=1.533 2(2) nm, c=0.963 42(14) nm, β=111.866(2)°, V=2.347 6(6) nm3, and Dc=1.483 Mg·m-3, Z=4, F(000)=1 084. The structure was refined to final R1=0.071 4, wR2=0.166 1. The complex has a six-coordinated distorted octahedral geometry, in which copper(Ⅱ) ion coordinates with two carboxylic oxygen atoms and two hydroxyl oxygen atoms from the two α-hydroxyphenylacetic acid ligands, two nitrogen atoms from the two pyridine ligands. The analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the complex has a one-dimensional chain structure, which is formed by intermolecular hydrogen bonds. CCDC: 255346.

Magnetic anchor guidance for endoscopic submucosal dissection and other endoscopic procedures

Endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD) is a wellestablished, minimally invasive treatment for superficial neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. The universal adoption of ESD has been limited by its slow learning curve, long procedure times, and high risk of complications. One technical challenge is the lack of a second hand that can provide traction, as in conventional surgery. Reliable tissue retraction that exposes the submucosal plane of dissection would allow for safer and more efficient dissection. Magnetic anchor guided endoscopic submucosal dissection(MAGESD) has potential benefits compared to other current traction methods. MAG-ESD offers dynamic tissue retraction independent of the endoscope mimicking a surgeon's "second hand". Two types of magnets can be used: electromagnets and permanent magnets. In this article we review the MAG-ESD technology, published work and studies of magnets in ESD. We also review the use of magnetic anchor guidance systems in natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery and the idea of magnetic non-contact retraction using surface ferromagentization. We discuss the current limitations, the future potential of MAG-ESD and the developments needed for adoption of this technology.

Simulation of anchor chain based on lumped mass method

In order to develop a anchoring operation simulation system and improve safety during anchoring operations,a relatively accurate mathematical model of anchoring operations needs to be established.In this paper,the stress condition of anchor chain under environmental and subsea geological conditions is further studied and the stress condition of anchor chain is analyzed based on the previous research.In this paper,a quasi-static model based on catenary method is used as the basis of dynamic analysis,and the dynamic model of anchor chain is established based on the concentrated mass method,which fully considers the influence of anchor chain weight,hydrodynamic force,ocean current and interaction with the seabed.The fourth-order Runge Kutta method was used to solve the model numerically,and a calculation procedure was developed.The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing the calculated results with the experimental results,indicating that the constructed anchor chain dynamics model has a high accuracy.

Confirmation of Pearl Millet-Napiergrass Hybrids Using EST-Derived Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers

Prospects for deploying perennial grasses that are currently considered leading candidates for dedicated energy crops over large acreages are debatable because of several limitations, including vegetative propagation or small seed size, low biomass production during the first growing season, and incomplete assessments of crop invasiveness risk. Pearl Millet-Napiergrass hybrids (“PMN”;Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br. × P. purpureum Schumach.), in contrast, are large-seeded, sterile feedstocks capable of high biomass production during establishment year. Novel methods are warranted for confirmation of PMN hybrids, as traditional morphological observations can be inconclusive and chromosome number determination using cytological methods is laborious and time consuming. Six putative PMN lines were produced in this study, and 10 progeny from each line were evaluated using morphological traits, seed fertility, flow cytometry, and expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers. All putative hybrid lines were sterile and failed to produce seed. The PMN hybrids could not be distinguished from either parent using flow cytometry due to highly similar nuclear genome DNA contents. A number of paternal napiergrass-specific EST-SSRs were identified for each PMN line, and four paternal-specific EST-SSRs conserved across all napiergrass accessions were selected to screen the putative PMN hybrids. These EST-SSRs confirmed that all F1 individuals analyzed were PMN hybrids. The use of paternal-specific markers therefore provides a valuable tool in the development of both “Seeded-yet-Sterile” biofuel PMN feedstocks and additional PMN cultivar-and parental species-specific markers.

Study of Decoherence of Entangled States Made up of Two Basic States in a Linear Chain of Three Qubits

Using Lindblad approach to study decoherence of quantum systems, we study the decoherence and decay of entangled states, formed by two basic states of a chain of thee qubits. We look on these states for a possible regular dependence on their decay as a function of their energy separation between the basic states under different types of environments. We didn’t find regular or significant dependence on this energy separation for the type of environment considered.

静脉注射脂多糖上调小鼠肺及肝CD14和Toll-like受体4表达

目的观察静脉注射脂多糖(lipopolysacchafide,LPS)致小鼠肺、肝组织及血液中LPS受体CD14、Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)表达的变化.方法BALB/C小鼠随机分为5组,尾静脉注射LPS(7 mg/kg),分别于注后0、2、6、12和24 h取血及肺、肝组织.采用逆转录聚合酶链式反应(reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction,RT-PCR)及Western Blot法分别检测肺和肝组织中CD14和TLR4 mRNA及蛋白表达,血清CD14(sCD14)蛋白表达.结果CD14和TLR4 mRNA在肺、肝组织中固有表达,LPS可使肺组织CD14和TLR4表达明显上调(P＜0.05),高峰出现在2-6 h(P＜0.05),24 h降至基础水平;而肝组织的变化明显滞后于肺,12 h达高峰(P＜0.05),24 h仍高于基础水平(P＜0.05).蛋白的变化与mRNA基本一致.血清CD14的表达则随时间延长而增加.结论LPS进入体内可诱导肺、肝和血液中内毒素受体CD14和TLR4的表达.不同组织中内毒素受体表达的时间差异表明肺是内毒素血症中较早受损的器官,肺组织损伤可能进一步引发肝损伤.

复方杠柳液外用治疗尖锐湿疣临床观察及对离体人乳头瘤病毒DNA的影响

目的观察中药复方杠柳液治疗尖锐湿疣(condylomaacuminatum ,CA)的临床疗效,并从分子水平探讨其作用机理。方法将81例尖锐湿疣患者,随机分为复方杠柳液(30例)、杠柳浆(2 1例)、尤脱欣(30例) 3组,评定各组疗效及不良反应发生率。采用聚合酶链反应技术(polymerasechainreaction ,PCR) ,检测2例离体尖锐湿疣疣体中人乳头瘤病毒(humanpapillomavirus,HPV)DNA经复方杠柳液及其君药杠柳浆作用后的变化。结果复方杠柳液、杠柳浆、尤脱欣3组的痊愈率分别为56. 67%、42 . 86%、63 .33% ;总有效率分别为83 .33%、71. 43%、86. 67% ,3组疗效比较差异无显著性。复方杠柳液、杠柳浆、尤脱欣3组的不良反应发生率分别为6. 67%、4 .76%、86. 67% ,差异有显著性(P <0 . 0 1) ;复发率分别为14 .3%、12 . 5%、47. 1%。两份不同及相同浓度疣体匀浆混悬液经复方杠柳液、杠柳浆作用后PCR均阴性,未经药物处理的生理盐水组PCR均阳性。结论复方杠柳液、杠柳浆、尤脱欣3组最终疗效相近,复方杠柳液及杠柳浆组不良反应少、复发率低。该药对离体CA组织中的HPV- DNA可能有破坏作用。

良性与恶性葡萄胎基因表达差异的研究

目的:通过基因表达的差异分析,筛选良性与恶性葡萄胎间的分子标志,以探讨侵袭性葡萄胎早期诊断的方法和可能性。方法:采用mRNA差异显示、斑点杂交和DNA重组、测序等技术对良性与恶性葡萄胎差异表达的基因片段进行筛选和序列测定,通过和基因库数据对比,明确所获基因片段是否为已知序列。结果:筛选出 28条侵袭性葡萄胎高表达的基因片段,其中 20个可再扩增,斑点杂交分析确认有 13个片段在侵袭性葡萄胎中高表达,克隆其中 3个片段,经序列测定和NCBI数据库的BLAST检索比对,发现 16号片段序列(IHM F16)未见记载,为新发现的表达基因片段,并已被NCBI数据库所收录(dbEST_Id: 10875704;GenBank_Accn:BM403211),其他两个片段为已知的序列。结论:良性与恶性葡萄胎间基因表达存在明显差异,差异基因的检测分析对侵袭性葡萄胎的早期诊断具有潜在意义。