Abstract Curcumin has been found to have anti-cancer role in many cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, it is not clear whether curcumin can be involved in CRC progression by mediating the circRNA regulatory axis. Curcumin inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and promoted the apoptosis of CRC cells. Circ_KIAA1199 was an upregulated circRNA in CRC, and its overexpression could reverse the negative regulation of curcumin on CRC progression. MiR-433-3p was found to be sponged by circ_KIAA1199, and its mimic abolished the regulation of circ_KIAA1199 overexpression on the progression of curcumin-treated CRC cells. ADAM10 was a target of miR-433-3p and its expression was regulated by circ_KIAA1199 and curcumin. The suppressive effect of miR-433-3p inhibitor on the progression of curcumin-treated CRC cells could be reversed by ADAM10 silencing. Also, curcumin reduced CRC tumor growth by regulating the circ_KIAA1199/miR-433-3p/ADAM10 axis in vivo. Our data showed that curcumin could restrain CRC progression, which was achieved through the circ_KIAA1199/miR-433-3p/ADAM10 pathway.

Resumo Fundamento Doenças cardiovasculares são a principal causa de morte na China. Entretanto, os esforços atuais para se identificar os fatores de risco de morte em pacientes hospitalizados com insuficiência cardíaca (IC) estão direcionados principalmente para a mortalidade durante a internação e a mortalidade após 30 dias nos Estados Unidos. Dessa forma, é necessário um modelo semelhante ao modelo utilizado para prever o risco considerado para procedimentos cirúrgicos cardiovasculares em pacientes para avaliar o risco de pacientes internados com diagnóstico de IC. Objetivo Identificar variáveis que podem prever a mortalidade por IC um ano após a alta hospitalar, e desenvolver um escore de risco para avaliar o risco de morte no período de um ano. Métodos No presente estudo, 1.742 pacientes chineses com IC foram divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: um grupo de amostra de derivação e um grupo de amostra de teste. O método de simulação Monte Carlo via Cadeias de Markov foi usado para identificar variáveis que podem prever a mortalidade um ano após a alta hospitalar. Variáveis com uma frequência >1% na análise bivariada, e que foram consideradas clinicamente significativas, foram qualificadas para análises de modelagens posteriores. A probabilidade posterior de que uma variável estava estatística e significativamente associada ao resultado foi calculada como o número total de vezes em que o IC de 95% da variável não coincidiu com 1 (ou seja, o ponto de referência), dividido pelo número total de iterações. Uma variável com uma probabilidade de 0,9 ou mais alta foi considerado um fator de risco robusto para prever o resultado, e foi incluída na lista final de variáveis. O nível de significância estatística adotado foi 5%. Resultados Cinco variáveis que pudessem prever de maneira robusta a mortalidade um ano após a alta hospitalar foram identificadas: idade, sexo feminino, escore da New York Heart Association (Associação de Cardiologia de Nova Iorque) >3, diâmetro do átrio esquerdo, e índice de massa corporal. Os modelos de derivação e de teste tiveram uma área de curva característica de operação do receptor de 0,79. Essas variáveis selecionadas foram utilizadas para avaliar o escore de risco de mortalidade por IC após um ano, e este foi dividido em três grupos (baixo, moderado e alto). O grupo de alto risco corresponde a aproximadamente 86% das mortes, e o grupo de risco moderado corresponde a 12% das mortes. Conclusão Um escore de risco de 5 variáveis simples pode ser utilizado para avaliar a mortalidade um ano após a alta hospitalar de pacientes internados com IC.

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death in China. However, present efforts to identify the risk factors for death in patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) are primarily focused on in-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality in the United States. Thus, a model similar to the model used for predicting the risk in patients considered for cardiovascular surgical procedures is needed to evaluate the risk of the patients admitted with a diagnosis of HF. Objective To identify variables that can predict post-discharge one-year HF mortality and develop a risk score to assess the risk of dying within one year. Methods In the present study, 1,742 Chinese patients with HF were randomly divided into two groups: a derivation sample group and a test sample group. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation method was used to identify variables that can predict the one-year post-discharge mortality. Variables with a frequency of >1% in the bivariate analysis and that were considered clinically meaningful were eligible for further modeling analyses. The posterior probability that a variable was statistically and significantly associated with the outcome was calculated as the total number of times that the variable’s 95% CI did not overlap with 1 (i.e., the reference point) divided by the total number of iterations. A variable with a probability of 0.9 or higher was considered a robust risk factor for predicting the outcome, and this was included in the final variable list. The level of statistical significance adopted was 5%. Results Five variables that could robustly predict the one-year post-discharge mortality were identified: age, female gender, New York Heart Association functional classification score >3, left atrial diameter, and body mass index. Both derivation and test models had a receiver operating curve area of 0.79. These selected variables were used to assess the one-year HF mortality risk score, and these were divided into three groups (low, moderate, and high). The high-risk group corresponds to nearly 86% of the deaths, while the moderate group corresponds to 12% of the deaths. Conclusion A simple 5-variable risk score can be used to assess the one-year post-discharge mortality of hospitalized Chinese patients with HF.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Comparar o efeito de dois métodos de fixação interna no tratamento de fraturas da clavícula proximal. MÉTODOS Cinquenta pacientes com fraturas da clavícula proximal receberam tratamento cirúrgico. Eles foram divididos em um grupo de placa T clavicular e um grupo de miniplacas duplas. A duração da operação, perda de sangue durante a operação, tempo de cura da fratura e infecção na incisão foram avaliados nos dois grupos. RESULTADOS O tempo de operação (t=2,063, P=0,058), perda de sangue durante a operação (t=1,979, P=0,062) e tempo de cura das fraturas (t=1,082, P=0,066) não foram estatisticamente significativos nos dois grupos. Os pacientes foram acompanhados por 12-18 meses; um dos pacientes do grupo da placa T teve retirada antecipada dos parafusos, mas não apresentou sintomas clínicos. Aos dois meses de acompanhamento, a pontuação ASES no grupo de miniplacas duplas foi significativamente melhor do que a do grupo de placas T (P<0,001). Porém, no acompanhamento de seis meses, uma semana antes da remoção da fixação interna e do acompanhamento final, os dois grupos não apresentavem diferenças significativas (P>0,05). CONCLUSÃO Ambas técnicas de fixação interna têm resultados clínicos semelhantes quanto a duração da operação, perda de sangue durante a operação e tempo de cura da fratura. A fixação de miniplacas duplas apresenta vantagens quanto a redução das complicações e cura mais rápida da fratura, sendo, portanto, um método mais eficaz para tratar fraturas da clavícula proximal.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE To compare the effect of two internal fixation methods in the treatment of proximal clavicle fractures. METHODS Fifty patients with proximal clavicle fractures received surgical treatment. They were divided into a clavicular T-plate group and a double mini-plates group. The duration of the operation, blood loss during the operation, fracture healing time, and incision infection were evaluated between the two groups. RESULTS Operation time (t=2.063, P=0.058), intraoperative bleeding (t=1.979, P=0.062), and fracture healing time (t=1.082, P=0.066) were not statistically significant in the two groups. The patients were followed up for 12-18 months; one patient in the T-plate group had early removal of nails, but no clinical symptoms. At the 2-month follow-up, the ASES score in the double mini-plates group was significantly better than in the T-plate group (P<0.001); but at the 6-month follow-up, 1-week before removal of internal fixation and the final follow-up, the two groups had no significant differences (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Both internal fixations have similar clinical results in the duration of operation, blood loss during the operation, and fracture healing time. The double mini-plates fixation presents advantages by reducing complications and speeding fracture healing; thus it is a more effective method to treat proximal clavicle fractures.

Abstract Background: Circulating RNA (circRNA) regulates various bioactivities in cells. A better understanding of the exosomal circRNA can provide novel insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of Graves' disease (GD). We aimed to profile the differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcRs) in plasma exosomes of patients with GD and speculate and probe the functions of the DEcR by comprehensive bioinformatics analyses. Methods: Serum exosomes were isolated from five primary GD patients and five healthy controls via ultracentrifugation. After verification with transmission electron microscopy, exosome samples were subjected to microarray profiling using human circRNA microarrays. Two up-regulated and two down-regulated DEcRs were selected for validation in plasma exosomes from 20 GD and 20 healthy control participants using reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The circRNA/microRNA/mRNA interaction network was then assembled and the analysis of the Gene Ontology and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways was utilized to predict the potential functions of the DEcR associated genes. Results: There were 15 DEcRs revealed in primary GD cases. The intronic circRNA hsa_circRNA_000102 was confirmed as an up-regulated component in plasma exosomes from patients with GD. The circRNA/microRNA/mRNA interaction network unveiled the most potential targeting microRNAs of hsa_circRNA_000102 and its associated genes. The functional analyses predicted involvement of hsa_circRNA_000102 associated genes in pathways of immune system activation, such as viral infection and interferon-beta signaling. Conclusions: hsa_circRNA_000102 is a differentially up-regulated plasma exosomal circRNA in patients with GD. Our study highlights multiple pathways, particularly virus infection and interferon-beta signaling, for mediating immune activation in Graves' disease.

Abstract As a critical transcription factor, Six1 plays an important role in the regulation of myogenesis and muscle development. However, little is known about its regulatory mechanism associated with muscular protein synthesis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of overexpression ofSix1 on the expression of key protein metabolism-related genes in duck myoblasts. Through an experimental model where duck myoblasts were transfected with a pEGFP-duSix1 construct, we found that overexpression of duckSix1 could enhance cell proliferation activity and increase mRNA expression levels of key genes involved in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, while the expression of FOXO1, MuRF1and MAFbx was not significantly altered, indicating thatSix1 could promote protein synthesis in myoblasts through up-regulating the expression of several related genes. Additionally, in duck myoblasts treated with LY294002 and rapamycin, the specific inhibitors ofPI3K and mTOR, respectively, the overexpression of Six1 could significantly ameliorate inhibitive effects of these inhibitors on protein synthesis. Especially, the mRNA expression levels of mTOR and S6K1 were observed to undergo a visible change, and a significant increase in protein expression of S6K1 was seen. These data suggested that Six1plays an important role in protein synthesis, which may be mainly due to activation of the mTOR signaling pathway.

Background: The antimicrobial properties and molecular interaction analysis of curcumin and its derivatives against three different strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae (Penicillin-susceptible, Penicillin-intermediate and Penicillin-resistant) are studied. Results: These properties were analyzed based on the measurement of the inhibition zone, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and rate of kill revealed that curcumin monoglucoside, curcumin diglucoside and curcumin possessed strong antimicrobial properties even on the Penicillin-resistant strains. Additionally, the molecular docking simulation analyses against Penicillin Binding Protein of S. pneumoniae also confirm that these compounds docked at the active site of the enzyme. Further, the molecular dynamics simulation validates the conformational stability of the docked ligand-protein complexes in the dynamic environment. Conclusion: curcumin monoglucoside, curcumin diglucoside and curcumin can be prescribed for treatment against Penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae.

Background Follistatin (FST), a secreted glycoprotein, is intrinsically linked to muscle hypertrophy. To explore the function of duck FST in myoblast proliferation and differentiation, the pEGFP-FST eukaryotic expression vector was constructed and identified. The biological activities of this vector were analyzed by transfecting pEGFP-FST into cultured duck myoblasts using Lipofectamine™ 2000 and subsequently determining the mRNA expression profiles of FST and myostatin (MSTN). Results The duck pEGFP-FST vector was successfully constructed and was confirmed to have high liposome-mediated transfection efficiency in duck myoblasts. Additionally, myoblasts transfected with pEGFP-FST had a higher biological activity. Significantly, the overexpression of FST in these cells significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of MSTN (a target gene that is negatively regulated by FST). Conclusions The duck pEGFP-FST vector has been constructed successfully and exhibits biological activity by promoting myoblast proliferation and differentiation in vitro.

A surface modification technique was developed for the functionalization of silicon surface with glucose oxidase (GOD). The silicon surface was first graft copolymerized with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) via surface-initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT)-mediated process. GOD was then covalently immobilized through the ring-opening reaction between the amine groups of the GOD and the epoxide groups of the grafted GMA polymer chains. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the surface-modified surface after each modification stage. Increasing the thickness of the polymer layer and the immobilization time could allow a great amount of GOD to be immobilized on the silicon surface. The GOD-functionalized silicon hybrids are promising candidates for the silicon-based glucose biosensors.

Heliconema hainanensis sp. nov. collected from Uroconger lepturus (Richardson) (Anguilliformes: Congridae), Muraenesox cinereus (Forsskål) and Congresox talabonoides (Bleeker) (Anguilliformes: Muraenesocidae) in the South China Sea was described using light and scanning electron microscopy. The new species differs from its congeners by the following morphology: pseudolabia, the number and arrangement of caudal papillae (4 pairs of pedunculate precloacal papillae arranged in 2 groups of 2 and 2 pairs and 6 pairs of pedunculate postcloacal papillae arranged in 4 groups of 1, 2, 1 and 2 pairs), the length of spicules [left spicule 0.51-0.69 mm, right spicule 0.20-0.27 mm, spicule (right:left) ratio 1:2.20-2.69] and the morphology of the female tail tip. In addition, specimens of the new species collected from the three different hosts and specimens of an unidentified species of Heliconema collected from U. lepturus were characterised using molecular methods by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of ribosomal DNA. Analyses and comparison of the ITS sequence of H. hainanensis sp. nov. with Heliconema sp. support the validity of the new species based on morphological observations. An identification key to the species of Heliconema is also provided.

The role of myogenic enhancer transcription factor 2a (MEF2A) in avian muscle during fetal development is unknown. In this work, we cloned the duck MEF2A cDNA sequence (GenBank accession no. HM460752) and examined its developmental expression profiles in cardiac muscle, non-vascular smooth muscle and skeletal muscle. Duck MEF2A cDNA comprised 1479 bp encoding 492 amino acid residues. In silico analysis showed that MEF2A contained MADS (MCM1, AGAMOUS, DEFICIENS and SRF -serum response factor), MEF2 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) transcription domains with high homology to related proteins in other species. Modified sites in these domains were conserved among species and several variants were found. Quantitative PCR showed that MEF2A was expressed in all three muscles at each developmental stage examined, with the expression in smooth muscle being higher than in the other muscles. These results indicate that the conserved domains of duck MEF2A, including the MADS and MEF2 domains, are important for MEF2A transcription factor function. The expression of MEF2A in duck smooth muscle and cardiac muscle suggests that MEF2A plays a role in these two tissues.

In this paper, we explore the block triangular preconditioning techniques applied to the iterative solution of the saddle point linear systems arising from the discretized Maxwell equations. Theoretical analysis shows that all the eigenvalues of the preconditioned matrix arestrongly clustered. Numerical experiments are given to demonstrate the efficiency of the presented preconditioner. Mathematical subject classification: 65F10.

Stimuli-responsive polymer materials have potential uses in drug delivery, tissue engineering, bioreactors, and cell-surface adhesion control. Temperature-responsive surfaces of triblock copolymers of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-polycaprolactone-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (P(NIPAAm)-b-PCL-b-P(NIPAAm)) were fabricated via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). At 37 °C [above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of NIPAAm of 32 °C], the seeded cells adhered on the surface of the triblock copolymer, while below the LCST the cells detached from the surface spontaneously. P(NIPAAm) acted as the thermoresponsive segments of the triblock copolymer for control of cell adhesion and detachment. The thermosensitive copolymers are potentially useful as stimuli-responsive adhesion modifers for cells in biomedical felds.